ID :
492929
Mon, 05/21/2018 - 10:46
Auther :

Delhi Diary: Indonesia, India Seek Closer Maritime Links

By Shakir Husain Shakir Husain, Bernama’s correspondent in New Delhi shares his take from the Indian sub-continent. NEW DELHI, May 21 (Bernama) -- When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Indonesia in the coming days, the highlight of his trip is likely to be a tour of the strategic Sabang port in Aceh. Indonesia's Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan was in New Delhi last week and held talks on bilateral relations and Modi's visit. Luhut, who delivered a lecture on "Indonesia's Maritime Policy and Thinking of Ways Forward for India-Indonesia as Maritime Neighbours”, said his country might give India access to the deepwater port. "India and Indonesia have started naval drills in 2017, but we can explore doing more between our coast guards. This will become even better when the Sabang seaport is established with India. Sabang port has a depth of 40 metres which is good even for submarines," Luhut was quoted as saying in a Times of India newspaper report. The Indonesian minister in a meeting with India's Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari discussed potential port and infrastructure investments. A memorandum of understanding between Indian Maritime University and Indonesian institutes for maritime studies is to be drawn up for cooperation in education and training. The ministers also discussed developing "a cruise tourism circuit" between the Andaman and Nicobar islands and Indonesia. The distance between the Andaman Nicobar islands and Aceh is just 150 kilometres. "It was decided by both ministers to take up these areas of work in a proactive manner by arranging for exchange of information soon and establishing contact between technical teams on both sides," the Indian Shipping Ministry said. Enhancing shipping linkages with Indonesia is seen as vital to India's "Act East" foreign policy doctrine. "India-Indonesia relations are important for the balance of power in Asia," Luhut was quoted as saying in the Indian media. Domestically for Indonesia, developing the maritime sector is one the priorities of President Joko Widodo's government. Upon assuming power in 2014, Widodo said: "We have for too long turned our backs on the ocean, the straits and the bay. This is the time for us to restore it so we will prosper like our ancestors." According to an Asian Development Bank report on Indonesia's transport sector in 2016, the country needs tens of billions of dollars to modernise its port sector. "Indonesia has more than 100 commercial ports, although many of them cater only to relatively small vessels on domestic routes, and only a few have container facilities," the report said. "The shortage of large ports capable of receiving trans-oceanic vessels has given rise to an inefficient system: Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port is overburdened, handling about two-thirds of Indonesia's imports and exports," it noted. The report said U.S. $50 billion was needed to improve and upgrade Indonesia's five main and 19 feeder port facilities. However, India-Indonesia maritime cooperation is not limited to investment in commercial shipping, and covers a wide range of issues. During the Indonesian president's state visit to India in December 2016, Modi and Widodo made pointed references to maritime safety and security "in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and beyond". Modi's forthcoming visit to Indonesia will demonstrate their developing closeness. -- BERNAMA

X