New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Pitching for deeper bilateral ties, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono on Sunday expressed hope that the 8th India-Indonesia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) will deliver concrete outcomes, building upon the foundational visits of top leaders from both nations.

Addressing a high-level meeting in the national capital, Minister Sugiono highlighted the significance of the tracking mechanism to comprehensively review the bilateral strategic trajectory.

'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,' Sugiono said.

Reflecting on the recent high-level diplomatic momentum between New Delhi and Jakarta, the visiting minister expressed strong optimism for the future of the partnership, drawing reference to the Indian Prime Minister's previous visit to Indonesia.

'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,' the Indonesian Foreign Minister added.

The Foreign Minister, who is accompanied by Marlyn Maisarah Sugiono and a high-level delegation, co-chaired the crucial JCM alongside External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This key platform serves to review the progress on structural commitments, particularly those made during the landmark State Visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in January 2025.

The current discussions also directly build upon a recent May 14 meeting, when Jaishankar met Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono in New Delhi just ahead of the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Following that interaction, Jaishankar had stated on X, 'Glad to welcome FM Sugiono of Indonesia. Reviewed the progress of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and our cooperation with ASEAN'.

This diplomatic momentum extends into deep-seated security cooperation. Pursuant to the MoU for cooperation in Counter Terrorism signed in 2004, the two nations have continued their robust security dialogue, accented by the 6th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism held in Jakarta on 23 August 2024.

Ultimately, India and Indonesia--the two largest democracies in South and Southeast Asia--have seen their ties flourish since the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2018.

This latest visit comes at a pivotal time for regional cooperation, with both nations actively participating in various ASEAN-led mechanisms and initiatives, such as the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030).

The visit is viewed as a vital step in ensuring that the bilateral momentum remains dynamic and responsive to the evolving regional geopolitical landscape. (ANI)