Ambassador’s Interview on the Ocassion of 69th Republic Day

India’s strategic ties with Indonesia: Poised to enter more comprehensive domain

India is today celebrating its 69th Republic Day in New Delhi with 10 special guests from Southeast Asia, including President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 10 guests, the heads of government of ASEAN countries, attended the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi. To gain insight on India’s strategic ties with Indonesia and the Indian community in Indonesia, The Jakarta Post’s Veeramalla Anjaiah and Prasiddha Gustanto interviewed Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Pradeep Kumar Rawat at his office recently in Jakarta. The following are excerpts from the interview:

Question: When India first became a republic on Jan. 26 1950, Indonesia’s then president Sukarno was the chief guest. On Jan. 26 this year, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is in New Delhi to witness the Republic Day celebrations. What, according to you, is the most inspiring factor that has kept both countries’ relationship not only stable but also stronger today?

Reply: We are honored and privileged to welcome President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo as our guest of honor at the ASEAN India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on Jan. 25. We are marking the 25th anniversary of India’s partnership with ASEAN this year. We share a unique common cultural heritage that is reflected in the societal ethos of our respective societies. Our citizens proudly celebrate unity in diversity, or bhinneka tunggal ika, as defining facets of our multicultural and pluralistic ethos, as well as the common values of democracy and rule of law.

Question: How does democratic Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population, figure in India’s foreign policy?

Reply: For India, Indonesia is our closest maritime neighbor and strategic partner. India is also host to the second largest Muslim population after Indonesia. The Act East policy of Prime Minister Modi places the highest importance on developing strong and strategic relations with Indonesia, which is the largest economy in ASEAN. Today, as strategic partners, our cooperation spans across the entire gamut of political, economic, defense and security, cultural and people to people fields. We are also natural partners in the Indo-Pacific region and therefore have a mutual stake in each other’s progress and prosperity.

Question: According to Indian statistics, bilateral trade value reached US$16 billion in 2016, yet it is still not commensurate with both countries’ real economic potential. What measures are to be taken to boost economic ties to rectify this?

Reply: Bilateral trade between India and Indonesia in 2016 was $16 billion, with Indonesia enjoying a trade surplus of approximately $10 billion. At the joint commission meeting with Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi on Jan. 5, Sushma Swaraj, Indian External Affairs Minister, reiterated that “the best way to address the trade deficit is not to restrict trade but to increase it.’ Both countries are therefore looking at ways and means to achieve an ambitious yet balanced and sustainable bilateral trade target of $50 billion by 2025.

Question: India has already signed a free trade agreement with ASEAN. India has been negotiating the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with Indonesia and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement with East Asia Summit members for many years. How important for India are these two agreements and what will be the impact on Indian and Indonesian relations once they are signed?

Reply: India and Indonesia have been working towards a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Two rounds of pre-negotiations were held in August and October 2011 in Indonesia. India is now negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. We hope that RCEP will achieve a balanced outcome in goods and services by enhancing market access, lowering trade barriers in goods as well as services.

Question: Despite the centuries old cultural links and decades of political and economic links, a lack of awareness of one another is still a major problem in both India and Indonesia. This has been clearly reflected in the figures for tourist arrivals from Indonesia to India and vice versa. Are both India and Indonesia snubbing each other all this time? What, in your view, could both countries do to solve this problem?

Reply: We do acknowledge that there is an information gap that exists between our two societies. We are actively working to ensure that the gap bridges itself sooner than later. We have ramped up Indian promotional events in Indonesia that take the incredible Indian experience directly to the people of Indonesia.

We recently held a very successful India Culture Week celebration in Bandung to mark the New Year, where we showcased week long festivities through an Indian film festival, Indian food festival, Indian cultural dance performances and an exhibition showcasing the India-Indonesia friendship. We also hosted a Visit India Tourism Seminar to promote tourism from Indonesia to India. We are exploring possibilities of making direct flight arrangements between India and Indonesia to plug the gap that exists in air travel.

Question: The Republic of India is already 68-year-old. What are the most important achievements of India in the last 68 years?

Reply: One of the biggest achievements of India has been that people’s faith in the democratic system has strengthened with each passing year. The spread of political awareness has resulted in the formation of policies and programs that are broadbased, inclusive and effective. Today, India is a leading country in advanced technological sectors such as space, information technology, nuclear energy, pharmaceuticals and defense production.

Education has been another success story of India, with Indians now heading the world’s top multinational brands. India is also the fastest growing economy in the world today. This year, India will overtake France and the United Kingdom and become the fifth largest economy in the world. The government has undertaken financial and fiscal reforms recently that will further boost economic activities and generate more revenue.

Question: Do you have any special message for the Indian community in Indonesia?

Reply: On the occasion of the 69th Republic Day, I extend my greetings and good wishes to all Indian nationals living in Indonesia. This is an important day for all Indians, as it was today when we adopted the Indian Constitution, which continues to be the bedrock of the Indian democracy. I hope therefore that the vibrant Indian diaspora in Indonesia continues to be the best brand ambassador for India, its value system and its deep abiding friendship with the people of Indonesia. We at the embassy are committed to securing the welfare of all Indian nationals, in the same way as our external affairs minister recently remarked in Jakarta, by making the Indian Embassy their “home away from home!”

Question: Last but not least, how do you visualize Indonesia-India bilateral relations shaping up in the next five years?

Reply: In the last couple of months, our bilateral exchanges have seen the highest pace and intensity in recent history. Our defense ministers met for the Biennial Defense Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi on Jan. 15, and the first India-Indonesia Security Dialogue took place in New Delhi on Jan. 9 between Coordinating Minister Gen. (Ret) H. Wiranto and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. President Joko Widodo is also visiting India for the ASEAN India Commemorative Summit as our guest of honor on the occasion of India’s Republic Day. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Jakarta earlier this month for the joint commission meeting. As such, our strategic partnership is poised to take off into a more comprehensive domain, where our bilateral relationship becomes the pillar of an Asian order based on open regionalism and pluralistic value systems, which will be a force of immense good and stability in the region.