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Embassy of India

Jakarta


Press Release

Visit of Hon’ble M.J. Akbar, Minister of State of External Affairs of India to Indonesia (28-31 July 2018) 


               As a follow up to the recent visit of Prime Minister of India to Indonesia in May 2018, Hon’ble M.J. Akbar, Minister of State of External Affairs (MOS (MJA)) visited Indonesia from 28-31 July 2018 to discuss the next steps on convening the 1st India Indonesia Interfaith Dialogue (IIID) later this year.


2. During the visit, MOS(MJA) met with H.E. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia on 30 July evening. They discussed ways to ensure a substantive and outcome-oriented meeting of the 1st Interfaith Dialogue between India and Indonesia, as well as bilateral and multilateral issues. It was agreed to host the first IIID on 3-5 October in the historic city of Yogyakarta - a powerful symbol of Indonesia’s syncretic culture.


3. Both leaders recalled the successful visit of Prime Minister of India to Indonesia from 29-30 May and welcomed the fast-paced implementation of the outcomes agreed in the Joint Statement.



4. MOS (MJA) also met with General (Retd). Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs in the forenoon of 30th July, and exchanged ideas for involving key stakeholders from both sides in the upcoming IIID in October. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to early reconvening of the 2nd round of India Indonesia Security Dialogue later this year in Indonesia. They agreed that it was as important to win the argument in the mind as to defeat terrorism in its chosen battlefields. 

5. In his meetings, MOS (MJA) conveyed Government of India’s deepest condolences to the Indonesian Government on the tragic loss of 14 lives at the recent earthquake in Lombok. 


6. In the afternoon of 30th July, MoS (MJA) met with Dr. Haider Nashir, Chairman of Muhammadiah, and Prof. Dr. KH. Said Aqil Siradj, Chairman of Nahldatul Ulama, which are Indonesia’s largest independent Islamic organizations and discussed steps to increase academic and educational exchanges amongst scholars from their organizations with appropriate counterpart institutions in India.   Both organizations agreed to work in appropriate cooperation with India to spread the message of pluralism and harmony between different faiths. In addition, MOS (MJA), visited the Istiqlal Mosque (South East Asia’s largest) and interacted with Prof. Dr. Kyai Haji Nasaruddin Umar, Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque in the afternoon of 30th July.




7. In the forenoon of 31 July, MOS MJA met Lt. General TNI (Retd.) Agus Widjojo, and Governor of Lemhannas, which is Indonesia’s premier training institution for senior leadership of its defence forces. Both sides discussed ways and means to deepen defence exchanges and institutionalize cooperation between defence institutes and think tanks of India and Indonesia.


8. Earlier on 29 July 2018, MoS (MJA) paid a day long visit to Yogyakarta, which will host the 1st IIID and met with Sri Paku Alam X, the Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta Special Region.


9. On the evening of 28 July, MOS (MJA) was welcomed by the members of IndCham in Jakarta, which is a leading association of Indian corporate entities and business leaders having interests in promoting economic and trade relations between Indonesia and India. During the interaction MOS (MJA) cited several instances, where Indian Government under Prime Minister’s leadership had used innovative technologies and game changer policies to drastically reduce economic inequality in India. He encouraged IndCham members to work on deepening bilateral investments and called for creative thinking to augmenting tourism in flows from Indonesia to India.


10. Pursuant to MOS (MJA) visit, the first India Indonesia Interfaith Dialogue will be held in Yogyakarta from 3-5 October 2018.


Jakarta

31 July 2018