JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto sealed a major defense deal on Tuesday, allowing Jakarta to acquire the Indian BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.The agreement, part of over a dozen, was reached during Modi’s three-day visit to Indonesia, the first stop of his overseas visit to Indo-Pacific nations. The deal, reached a day after China test-launched a long-range ballistic missile, is expected to boost India’s defense exports and strategic cooperation between Jakarta and New Delhi.Speaking alongside Modi after their talks at the Merdeka Palace, Indonesia’s main presidential office, Prabowo hailed Modi’s visit as a “historic milestone” in bilateral ties, saying the two countries agreed to deepen cooperation across defense, security, trade, energy, health, education and cultural exchanges.
“We are two of the world’s largest democracies. Cooperation between our countries will certainly bring benefits to the region,” Prabowo said.Modi said ties between India and Indonesia have gained “new energy” in recent years, with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2018 continuing to grow.“We are making significant strides in every field, including development, security, technology, culture and education,” Modi said.
