Welcome H.E. Vajpayee
Welcome H.E. Vajpayee
Friendly relations between Indonesia and India have long been
established, since the countries were still struggling for
independence from their colonial masters more than half a century
ago. But friendship and cultural ties between the two peoples
existed long before the birth of these two Asian nations.
The moral values from the great Indian epics such as the
Ramayana and Mahabharata have been instinctively adopted by
millions of Indonesians, especially those who live in Java and
Bali, as is reflected in the Javanese shadow plays or wayang
performances and Balinese traditional dances whose characters are
derived from those Indian epics.
Hence, it is right to say that the four-day visit of Indian
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Indonesia, which began on
Wednesday, will do more than just strengthen relations, as
friendly ties between the two nations have never slackened.
During the 32-year rule of former president Soeharto,
bilateral relations remained cordial as demonstrated by visits of
three Indian prime ministers to Jakarta. And the visit by
President Abdurrahman Wahid to New Delhi last year has emphasized
the warm friendship of the two peoples and nations.
Vajpayee's visit, we believe, should be seen as a brief
sojourn to a family member's home at a time when the family
member is overwhelmed with a myriad of political and economic
problems.
It is anticipated that Vajpayee's visit will elevate relations
between our two countries to levels similar to the excellent
levels of cooperation and support forged by the two founding
fathers -- Jawaharlal Nehru and Sukarno. For this, the prime
minister deserves a warm welcome.
His visit cannot be more timely now that Indonesia, a nation
in transition towards a democratic government after decades of
authoritarian rule, is grappling with its economic development
and fledgling democracy ... areas in which India has had
remarkable success.
Bilateral trade -- which last year stood at only US$1.4
billion, a relatively meager amount for large countries like
India and Indonesia whose combined populations exceeds more than
1.2 billion people -- can surely be improved considering the
complementary nature of our commodities.
Clearly, there is considerable need in Indonesia for transfer
of sophisticated information technology where India excels in
both software development and component manufacturing.
Likewise, India's advanced military technology, as proven by
successful tests of its medium-range Agni missiles in 1999 and
last week's tests of its multi-role combat aircraft, could help
Indonesia's needs for defensive equipment which traditional
suppliers have curtailed due to political reason.
Touching on military cooperation, Indonesia, which lies
between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, has a strategic role to
play in maintaining regional stability and comprehensive
discussions and close cooperation between Jakarta and New Delhi
would benefit both governments. Indonesia's good defensive
capabilities will certainly help ensure security in SE Asia,
while India's is good for the stability in South Asia.
Cooperation between Jakarta and New Delhi, we believe, is even
more important now that the new U.S. administration has yet to
formulate its foreign policy on South and Southeast Asia.
In the final analysis, it is expected that the Indonesian
government would explore a wide range of possible comprehensive
cooperation with the Indian leader, ultimately beneficial to both
countries.