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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that defence cooperation with Indonesia remains an important pillar of bilateral ties and that discussions are at a preparatory stage, amid questions on additional BrahMos missile supplies. It also expressed hope that ongoing talks with Australia would lead to the implementation of the bilateral nuclear supply agreement.
Responding to a question during a special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Rubendra Tandon, said defence cooperation with Indonesia is an important aspect of the bilateral relationship, while noting that discussions are still at a preparatory stage. Tandon said, "Defence cooperation is an important part of the relationship with Indonesia. I don't think we need to go into the details of this at this juncture, particularly since we haven't even departed from here and all these are at preparatory stages." On whether there could be progress on uranium supplies from Australia during the Prime Minister's visit, the Joint Secretary (Oceania), Vishwesh Negi, said India and Australia have a bilateral nuclear supply agreement that has not been implemented in recent years, but substantive discussions are underway. He said, "On the question of the supply of uranium, we are aware that India and Australia have a bilateral nuclear supply agreement. However, it has not been implemented for the last few years. And in recent times, there have been very substantive, forward-looking conversations between the two sides. And I think there is a hope that there will be a logical conclusion to the discussions." The remarks come at a time when BrahMos is gaining increasing international attention following its export success and operational deployment. The missile is jointly developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM). BrahMos is one of India's most significant defence export prospects as New Delhi seeks to expand its footprint in the global arms market while strengthening indigenous defence manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as part of his upcoming three-nation visit, will travel to Indonesia on July 8-9, Australia on July 10 and New Zealand on July 11. The visit to Indonesia will see a focus on reviewing the bilateral partnership, while in Australia, PM Modi will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit process. Covering New Zealand in the last leg of his visit, PM Modi would become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the country in forty years. (ANI)
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