India and Indonesia on Tuesday concluded a raft of agreements, including deals for the supply of Brahmos and Astra missiles and cooperation in critical minerals, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto emphasised the importance of the bilateral partnership in upholding a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Tuesday. (AP)Indonesia was the first stop in Modi’s nearly week-long three-nation tour that will take him to Australia and New Zealand. The visit is aimed at bolstering economic and security cooperation, with the focus on strengthening defence ties and collaboration on technology and commodities such as rare earths.Following his talks with Prabowo at the Merdeka presidential palace in Jakarta, Modi told a joint media interaction that the growing trust between the two countries has strengthened cooperation in defence, security and the maritime domain. The Coast Guard forces of both countries will work jointly in the Indian Ocean to ensure maritime safety and security, he said.Prabowo said both sides want an Indo-Pacific region that is open and transparent, with an order-based international law.The conclusion of agreements for the supply of BrahMos cruise missiles and Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missiles to Indonesia’s armed forces were announced at the joint media interaction. BrahMos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture, signed a contract with Indonesia’s defence ministry for the BrahMos missile system, while state-run Bharat Dynamics Limited signed a deal with Republikorp, Indonesia’s leading private defence holding company, for the Astra missile.Both sides didn’t provide details of the defence deal, and people familiar with the matter said India is expected to supply two batteries of the BrahMos missile system, including missiles, launchers and guidance equipment, as part of Indonesia’s ongoing effort to modernise its military. Indonesia initially sought only one battery but this was subsequently increased to two, they said.Indonesia becomes the second Asean member state, after the Philippines, to acquire the BrahMos cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia that proved its lethality during last year’s conflict with Pakistan. This was the first time that a deal for the BrahMos was announced at a media interaction between the top leadership of two countries.The deal for the Astra missile, indigenously developed by India, marks probably the first export of the system. The external affairs ministry said the deals demonstrated the capability of India’s defence industry and boosted defence exports.The two sides also concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in minerals and technology of the steel supply chain, an MoU on the development of rare earth magnets, a strategic joint venture between the Steel Authority of India and Pt Krakatau Steel for setting up a stainless steel slab manufacturing facility in Indonesia, an MoU for cooperation in agriculture, and an MoU on cooperation in regulating medical products.“Our comprehensive strategic partnership, established in 2018, is reaching new heights today. We are making significant strides across every domain of cooperation, including development, security, technology, culture and education,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi.“I am confident that today marks the beginning of a golden new chapter in the India-Indonesia partnership. This new chapter will have a profound and positive impact on the world of the 21st century and on humanity.”Prabowo conferred the Bintang Adipurna Medal of Honour, Indonesia’s highest honour, on Modi. The award is given to those who have rendered exceptional service for the unity and prosperity of Indonesia. Past recipients of the award include Cuban leader Fidel Castro, former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and South African president Nelson Mandela.