PM Narendra Modi to Visit Prambanan Temple

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Prambanan Temple as part of his state visit to Indonesia. Foreign Minister Sugiono stated the visit relates to one of the cooperation agreements between Indonesia and India, namely efforts to restore or renovate Prambanan Temple. “He (Modi) plans to visit Prambanan Temple because one of the agreements reached between Indonesia and India is an effort to carry out the restoration of Prambanan Temple,” Sugiono said in Jakarta on Monday (6/7). Sugiono explained that President Prabowo Subianto personally welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday afternoon. The visit is a reciprocal one following President Prabowo’s earlier trip to India. “The President welcomed Indian PM Sri Narendra Modi, who is making a state visit to Indonesia as a reciprocal visit for the one the President made some time ago. This is also a form of strengthening closeness and cooperation between the two countries,” he said. According to Sugiono, during the visit both countries will also sign a number of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements in various strategic fields. “There will be several agreements and MoUs that will be discussed and signed tomorrow,” he stated. He added that the good relationship between President Prabowo and PM Modi serves as important capital in strengthening the Indonesia-India partnership. “The two heads of state also have a personal chemistry and closeness. This is also a step towards strengthening the friendship between Indonesia and India,” Sugiono said. The series of state visit events for PM Modi will begin at Merdeka Palace with an official welcoming ceremony, followed by a tête-à-tête between the two leaders, a bilateral meeting, and an official state banquet. “Tomorrow the series of state visit events for PM Modi will begin at Merdeka Palace, then as usual there will be a tête-à-tête, followed by a bilateral meeting, and then the official event will conclude at Merdeka Palace,” he explained. Besides the state agenda, PM Modi is also scheduled to participate in several other activities while in Indonesia before concluding his visit on 8 July. Regarding the cooperation to be agreed upon, Sugiono said there are approximately seven to eight memoranda of understanding covering various priority sectors. “Tomorrow there are, let me try to remember, seven or eight. In various fields, there is defence, education, health, and also technology development,” he concluded.