Defence, critical minerals on table at India-Indonesia meeting today, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a three-nation tour to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand from July 6-11.
• The visit aims to strengthen India's Act East Policy and MAHASAGAR Vision, promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
• In Indonesia, discussions with President Prabowo Subianto focused on defence, maritime partnerships, critical minerals, food security, and the digital economy.
• India and Indonesia elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in May 2018.
• Defence cooperation includes the potential sale of BrahMos missiles and training for Indonesian cadets at Indian defence institutions.
• Indonesia holds significant global reserves of critical minerals, including 21% of the world's nickel.

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Detailed Insights:

• The tour underscores India's commitment to enhancing engagement with Southeast Asian and Indo-Pacific nations.
• The Act East Policy seeks to deepen India's economic, strategic, and cultural relations with the region.
• The MAHASAGAR Vision expands India's maritime strategy beyond the Indian Ocean, emphasizing global partnerships and security.
• India and Indonesia adopted the Shared Vision of India-Indonesia Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in 2018 to bolster maritime domain awareness.
• An Indonesian liaison officer will be stationed at the IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region) to further maritime collaboration.
• India will provide slots for Indonesian officers at the National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College to enhance defence capacity building.
• Economic synergies are being explored between India's Viksit Bharat 2047 and Indonesia's Emas (Golden) Indonesia 2045 development visions.
• Indonesia is modeling its free nutritious meals initiative on India's midday meal programme, and has studied India's PDS and fortified rice schemes.
• PM Modi's visit to Australia will focus on defence, trade, education, and people-to-people ties, while the New Zealand leg will enhance economic and trade engagements, including an FTA.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Act East Policy: India's diplomatic initiative launched in 2014 to strengthen economic, political, cultural, and strategic relations with countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region.
• MAHASAGAR Vision: An upgraded strategic framework building on the SAGAR vision, emphasizing global maritime partnerships, security across all oceans, and the broader Global South.
• Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: A high-level bilateral relationship status indicating broad and deep cooperation across various sectors.
• IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region): A regional maritime security center hosted by the Indian Navy to enhance maritime domain awareness and information sharing.
• Viksit Bharat 2047: The Government of India's vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, coinciding with the centennial of its independence.
• Emas (Golden) Indonesia 2045: Indonesia's national vision to become a sovereign, advanced, fair, and prosperous country by its centennial in 2045.
• BrahMos missiles: A long-range, ramjet-powered supersonic cruise missile developed as a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.
• PDS (Public Distribution System): A food security system established by the Government of India to distribute food and non-food items to the poor at subsidized rates.