India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said he wants to discuss the “full spectrum” of bilateral cooperation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono during the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi.

Welcoming the Indonesian delegation, Jaishankar highlighted the importance of the meeting, which is taking place after a gap of four years.

“It’s a great pleasure to welcome you and your delegation to New Delhi for the eighth India-Indonesia Joint Commission meeting…Our Joint Commission is happening after four years…We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our bilateral ties in 2025. We had the honour to welcome President Prabowo Subianto on a state visit and as the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day last year,” Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar Recalls President Prabowo Subianto’s India Visit

The minister also referred to the visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and said the trip helped strengthen ties between the two countries.

He noted that his meeting with the Indonesian leader provided valuable guidance on expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.

“When I had called on His Excellency during that visit, I very much valued the guidance provided by him on further developing multifaceted bilateral ties. There were very fruitful discussions between Prime Minister Modi and President Prabowo during the visit, and that has certainly imparted fresh momentum to our comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said.

India and Indonesia Aim to Expand Strategic Partnership

Jaishankar said he looks forward to extensive discussions covering a wide range of sectors that are important to both nations.

These include political cooperation, defence and security, maritime affairs, trade and investment, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food security, tourism, education, and cultural exchanges.

“Today, I look forward to extensive discussions with you, covering the full spectrum of our bilateral cooperation from political to defence and security, maritime trade and investments, health and pharmaceuticals, food security, as well as tourism, education, and cultural cooperation,” he asserted.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Expects Productive Outcomes

During his opening remarks, Sugiono expressed optimism about the discussions and said he hopes the meeting will produce meaningful results.

“Given the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jakarta. I hope this meeting will be a fruitful one, which will deliver a lot of outcomes…I thank you for the warm hospitality extended to me and my delegation…Indeed, a couple of weeks ago, I was here in New Delhi; I will always try to find an excuse to visit again…I hope that this visit will deepen the relations between our two countries,” he said.

Focus on Reviewing Progress and Future Cooperation

Sugiono described the Joint Commission Meeting as an important platform to assess progress made since the previous meeting in 2022 and address pending issues of mutual interest.

He also stressed the need to implement the outcomes of discussions held during President Prabowo’s visit to India and to identify new opportunities for cooperation.

“This is an important meeting to allow us to review the progress of our cooperation since the last JCM we held in 2022 to address outstanding subjects that matter to our common interest and follow up on the result of the leaders’ meeting during Prabowo Subianto’s visit to India and to chart the way forward to translate this partnership into more concrete outcomes,” he said.

India and Indonesia Review ASEAN Cooperation

Sugiono arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for key bilateral discussions with Indian officials.

Following his meeting with the Indonesian foreign minister, Jaishankar shared an update on X, saying, “Glad to welcome FM Sugiono of Indonesia. Reviewed the progress of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and our cooperation with ASEAN.”

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties as well as enhancing cooperation through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations framework.

Meeting Seen as Important for India’s Southeast Asia Outreach

Observers view Sugiono’s visit as a significant step in strengthening India’s engagement with Southeast Asia.

The meeting is expected to boost cooperation in strategic and economic sectors while supporting India's broader efforts to expand its influence and partnerships across the region.