India and Indonesia unequivocally condemned all forms of terrorism irrespective of its motivation and origin. <br/><br/>After co-chairing the fifth meeting of the Joint Commission with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta today, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, both the nations expressed strong opposition to any selective approaches to deal with this global menace. <br/><br/>The minister said, India and Indonesia called upon all countries to stop providing state sponsorship of terrorism and prevent their territories being used for establishing terrorist safe havens.<br/><br/>Ms Swaraj said, during the discussions, there was clear recognition that India and Indonesia, as two close maritime neighbours, are natural partners in peace and prosperity. <br/><br/>She said, both nations are two major countries in the Indo-Pacific region. She said Indonesia, as one of the largest countries and the biggest economy in ASEAN, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region. <br/><br/>Ms Swaraj said, both nations agreed on expansion of civil aviation links to further enhance bilateral economic and tourism ties.<br/><br/>The two countries also agreed to work together for a balanced and sustainable trade by providing greater market access, both in goods and services.<br/><br/>Earlier, External Affairs Minister Sushma called on Indonesian Vice President Muhammad Jusuf Kalla and discussed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations. <br/><br/>Ms Swaraj arrived in Jakarta from Thailand on the second leg of her three-nation tour. She will also call on Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and have other official engagements, including an interaction with the representatives of the Indian community.
News On AIR | January 5, 2018 7:37 PM
India, Indonesia call for ending state sponsorship of terror