India, Indonesia boost relations
India, Indonesia boost relations
India and Indonesia, the two largest countries in South and Southeast Asia, have had close ties dating back to the fourth century AD. For centuries, there has been contact between the people of the two countries. Our two countries are deeply intertwined with exchanges in religion, culture, languages, literature, etc. In modern times, relations between the two countries were given an impetus by the leaders of each country not only in their fight against foreign colonial rule, but also in charting a course of action in the post-independence period. The first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had said about Indonesia's struggle against colonial rule that "nothing aroused the emotions of people in India so much as the struggle for independence of Indonesia. The people of India will stand by the Indonesian demand for independence." Indonesia reciprocated by offering both material and moral support.
Indonesia celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1995, and India has just concluded its 50th Anniversary celebrations. In the last 50 years, India and Indonesia -- starting with the Asian Relations Conference in March 1947 in New Delhi, the Conference on Indonesia in 1949 held in New Delhi, the historic Asia-Africa Conference in 1955 in Bandung and as members of the NAM -- have drawn from each other's experiences and strengths, and in a spirit of cooperation and mutual benefit, worked together in several areas. The two countries have had similarity of views on several issues. In international fora such as the NAM, the G-15, Indian Ocean Rim, the Group of 77, the Human Rights Commission, the WTO, etc., Indonesia and India have worked closely.
Given the fact that the number of areas in which the two countries can cooperate has been steadily increasing, there has been an attempt to establish more institutional linkages. A Joint Consultative Forum, at the level of Foreign Ministers or their representatives, was established in December 1997. Similarly, a Cultural Exchange Program (CEP), signed in December 1996, has enabled both the countries to establish valuable linkages through the medium of cultural exchanges. Cooperation in the field of space science and technology is taking place in the form of setting up of a TTC ground station at Biak. Despite the present economic crunch in Indonesia, there are opportunities and complementarities in our two economies and avenues for cooperation. Concerted efforts are being made to enhance our bilateral trade, which touched US$1.5 billion in 1997.
Technical cooperation between India and Indonesia, particularly in the field of technical education, has been going on for the past few decades. Under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program and the Colombo Plan, about 650 Indonesian officials and experts have been trained at various Indian technical and management institutes.
Apart from official interaction between the two countries, there are organizations in this country which have played a role in promoting bilateral relations. The Economic Association of India and Indonesia (ECAII) and the Indonesia-India Friendship Association (IIFA) have been acting as vehicles for promoting better understanding and awareness between the two countries. ECAII, comprising a number of Indonesian as well as Indian companies, has been playing a significant role in furthering trade contacts between the two countries. IIFA, established in 1989, has been attempting to promote people-to-people contact and enhance cultural interaction.
Indonesia is, today, going through a crucial phase of transition on both political and economic fronts. With its vast natural resources and well-developed infrastructure, the fundamentals of the country are sound. India is confident that the present economic difficulties are a passing phase and that the people and the Government of Indonesia will overcome this crisis and come out on top in the not so distant future.