Indonesia and India announced that they will cooperate on defence and maritime, as they are planning to develop a strategic Indonesian naval port in the Indian Ocean. This cooperation was sealed after the leaders of the two countries met in Jakarta.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed about developing infrastructure and an economic zone at Sabang, on Sumatra island and at Malacca Strait.
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Namely, according to Reuters there has been increased tension in Southeast Asia regarding South China Sea, with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have conflicting claims in the area,.
Last week, Indonesia’s chief maritime affairs minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, said that the current port at Sabang, which is 40 metres deep, has the ability to be developed in order to accommodate commercial vessels and submarines.
What is more, Indonesia’s transport minister informed that Sabang would get a transshipment port that could be constructed over two years. In addition, when asked about Indian investment in Sabang, Indian foreign ministry official Preeti Saran mentioned that New Delhi is indeed interested in helping build infrastructure across Southeast Asia.
As Joko Widodo said, India is a strategic defence partner for Indonesia; for this reason Indonesia will advance cooperation between the two regarding infrastructure, including at Sabang Island and the Andaman Islands.
