Jakarta, July 4 (IANS) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia, Indian envoy Sandeep Chakravorty on Saturday said that discussions regarding Indonesia’s interest in the BrahMos missile system were at an advanced stage and expressed hope that they would soon materialise.

“There have been discussions which are at an advanced stage. And we hope that very soon these discussions will materialise and there will be movement of defence equipment from India into Indonesia,” Ambassador Chakravorty told IANS.

The Ambassador also noted that Indonesia is blessed with natural resources such as nickel, coal, rare earths, gold and copper.

According to the Ambassador, “The government of Indonesia has a strategy known as downstreaming, which means that it will not export ores. It requires the ores to be processed. Now, processing takes place at various stages. What we are looking at is for Indian enterprise and investment to come here and process these resources to an advanced stage and then supply them to India and the global market. So, some developments in this regard are expected during the visit.”

Speaking about bilateral cooperation, the Ambassador said, “India and Indonesia are maritime neighbours. Our relations date back centuries, we have had a common colonial past, and our post-colonial development trajectories are very similar. Today, in the contemporary world, we have to leverage our close ties for the benefit of our peoples. I think in the last few years we have witnessed greater intensity in our relations.”

The Ambassador added that when Indonesian President Prabowo began his term, he visited India within three months, giving fresh impetus and energy to the bilateral relationship.

“Now PM Modi coming to Indonesia will give it further momentum. Our relations are multidimensional and multifaceted. Every pillar has a great deal of activity, whether it is defence, education, food security, trade, investment or space. There is cooperation and engagement across all these sectors,” he said.

He also noted that India has agreed to support the restoration of the Prambanan Temple in Indonesia, a ninth-century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Speaking about PM Modi’s popularity in Indonesia, the Ambassador said that “PM Modi is a very, very popular leader globally and that popularity is also evident in Indonesia. During his visit, you will see a large number of people wanting to meet him. There will be a major community event in Jakarta where you will witness the warmth and affection that people here have for PM Modi.”

–IANS

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