Escorted by fighter jets, India calls visit to Indonesia 'truly exceptional'

The Indian government has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Republic of Indonesia as ‘special and truly exceptional’, following a series of ceremonial welcomes including a fighter jet escort within Indonesian airspace. Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, Secretary (East) of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Rudrendra Tandon, underscored the warmth of President Prabowo Subianto’s reception, particularly when the President personally greeted PM Modi as he disembarked from the presidential aircraft. ‘There was a salute of fighter jets welcoming him as he entered Indonesian airspace, and a special gesture from President Prabowo who welcomed him personally at the airport. Combined, this made for a very memorable visit,’ Tandon said. Three Indonesian Air Force F-16s and two Sukhoi Su-27/30s escorted the Indian presidential aircraft carrying PM Modi as it entered Indonesian airspace until it landed at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Monday afternoon. Beyond the fighter jet escort and the warm welcome from the President at the airport, the conferment of Indonesia’s highest civilian honour, the Bintang Republik Indonesia Adipurna, upon PM Modi was also highlighted by Tandon as a major surprise during the visit. Although the high-level meeting yielded numerous concrete cooperation agreements across various sectors, the Indian government noted that the atmosphere and emotional closeness during this visit were particularly memorable. ‘Of course, many agenda items were completed, but the atmosphere of this visit is something I feel I cannot fully describe. What is certain, from our side, is that this was an unusual and truly exceptional visit,’ Tandon said. Indonesia and India’s relationship has been framed within a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2018. PM Modi is scheduled to stay in Indonesia for two nights. President Prabowo and PM Modi witnessed the signing and announcement of 16 cooperation documents between Indonesia and India at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday. The 16 documents include cooperation between government agencies and companies in fields ranging from space exploration, defence, health, agriculture, and telecommunications, to education. PM Modi is also scheduled to visit Yogyakarta on 8 July as part of bilateral cooperation in the restoration of Prambanan Temple.