Welcoming Indian PM Modi, Puan Reveals Satellite Cooperation Plans

House Speaker Puan Maharani received a visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan on Tuesday. During the visit, PM Modi delivered an official address before three legislative bodies: the House of Representatives (DPR), the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR), and the Regional Representative Council (DPD). The agenda was also attended directly by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. “Alhamdulillah, the DPR together with the MPR and DPD have just received a visit from Indian PM Narendra Modi, who had the opportunity to deliver his remarks at the DPR building. And alhamdulillah, his visit was also attended by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka,” Puan said after the meeting at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday. Puan revealed that in his speech, PM Modi expressed high hopes that the bilateral relationship between India and Indonesia, which has officially spanned 75 years, can be continuously elevated to a higher level. Philosophically and historically, PM Modi analogised the closeness of the two countries’ relationship through the existence of two great rivers that are symbols of civilisation in each country, namely the Ganges in India and the Mahakam in Indonesia. “In his remarks, Modi also said that there is something he wants to do or follow up on together between India and Indonesia regarding the Ganges and Mahakam rivers. That as long as these two rivers continue to flow, the cooperative relationship between Indonesia and India must also remain intertwined, close, strong, and be enhanced,” Puan elaborated. Furthermore, Puan explained that Modi emphasised strengthening diplomatic relations through a number of collective memories and shared cultural roots. During his speech at the parliamentary podium, the Indian leader even cited the historical view once expressed by Indonesia’s first President, Soekarno, regarding the emotional closeness of the two nations. “He even quoted President Soekarno’s statement that the people of Indonesia and India are bound by blood and cultural relations. Therefore, PM Modi also invited Indonesia to carry out various cooperations which have already been followed up in his meeting with President Prabowo Subianto,” Puan explained. One of the concrete points of cooperation that has been agreed upon and will be followed up immediately is in the field of aerospace technology, specifically the utilisation of satellite applications. In this regard, India has fully committed to supporting Indonesia in developing independent satellite launch infrastructure facilities. In addition, the strengthening of relations is also manifested through the cultural and historical preservation sector, where President Prabowo is scheduled to accompany PM Modi on a working visit to Prambanan Temple. “And today until tomorrow, President Prabowo Subianto will accompany PM Modi to Prambanan, even to launch the preservation and restoration of the world heritage site. So indeed, historically, the relationship between Indonesia and India has been going on for a long time, even since President Soekarno’s era,” added the PDI Perjuangan politician. In closing, Puan underscored that the momentum of a foreign head of government addressing the Indonesian parliament is a very rare event and carries strong symbolic value in the dynamics of Indonesia’s foreign policy. This visit also reaffirms the consistency of the partnership between the two countries, which has been deeply rooted since the implementation of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung decades ago.