Finance
The government said Thursday that Prabowo Subianto, the president of Indonesia, will be the main guest during India’s Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
This is the fourth time an Indonesian politician has been invited as the primary guest for the Republic Day celebrations, but it will also be President Prabowo’s first trip to India in his new role as president since taking office in October 2024. In 1950, President Sukarno was present at the inaugural Republic Day festivities in an independent India.
“At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto will pay a State Visit to India during 25-26 January 2025. President Prabowo will also be the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.
The MEA said that “India and Indonesia share warm and friendly ties spanning over millennia. As a Comprehensive Strategic Partner, Indonesia is an important pillar in India’s Act East Policy and our vision of the Indo-Pacific.”
“The forthcoming State Visit of President Prabowo will provide an opportunity for the leaders to undertake a comprehensive review of bilateral ties as well as to discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the MEA added.
India and Indonesia: Close bilateral ties
For more than two millennia, India and Indonesia have maintained close cultural and commercial ties. From the Indian coast, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism made their way to Indonesia. In addition to the shared culture, colonial history, and post-independence aspirations of political sovereignty, economic self-sufficiency, and independent foreign policy, the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata serve as a source for Indonesian folk art and dramas.
In the spirit of the momentous Bandung Conference in 1955 and the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, India and Indonesia emerged as leading proponents of the independence of Asian and African nations.
Bilateral relations have rapidly developed in the areas of politics, security, defense, commerce, and culture since India’s “Look East Policy” was adopted in 1991 and upgraded to “Act East” in 2014.
In 2022, Indonesia presided over the G20, and in 2023, India did the same.
In the ASEAN area, Indonesia has become India’s biggest trading partner. According to the Department of Commerce, overall bilateral trade in fiscal year 2022–2023 was USD 38.85 billion, up 48% from the previous fiscal year. Exports totaled USD 10.02 billion, up 18%, while imports totaled USD 28.82 billion, up 62%.
Source: IE
