Prime Minister's Office
English translation of Press Statement by Prime Minister during visit to Indonesia 
Your Excellency,
President Joko Widodo,
Distinguished Delegates,
Members of Media,

Namaskar!
It is my first visit to this great and beautiful country. First of all, I express my gratitude to President Widodo for my very warm welcome and the very wonderful arrangementsmade for this visit. I was particularly touched by the way Indonesian citizens and small children welcomed me in their national costumes. I have deep respect for President’s vision, for his visionary leadership and his personal commitment to strengthening our partnership.
Friends,
I am deeply sorry for the killing of innocent people of Indonesia in the recent terrorist attacks. India strongly condemns such attacks. In this difficult time, India stands firmly with Indonesia. Such tragic incidents gives the message that there is a need to bring more vitality in the efforts being made on the global level to fight terrorism.
Friends,
The Panchsheel philosophy of Indonesia is a living testimony of the prudence and vision of the people of Indonesia. It has also made uninterrupted unification of cultural traditions with religious beliefs. As maritime neighbors and strategic partners our concerns are the same.It is our duty to ensure the safety and security of the maritime routes. It is also important for protection of our economic interests. In today's changing Indo-Pacific region,ours is a very special geo-strategic location. We are facing similar development and environmental challenges.As partners in the Indo-Pacific region, we have shared interests in each other's progress and prosperity. And so, we have agreed on Shared Vision and Principles for the Indo-Pacific region.
Friends,
India’s ‘Act East Policy’ along with our vision of "SAGAR" i.e. Security and Growth for All in the Region – coincides with President Widodo’s Maritime Fulcrum Policy. We had prepared a roadmapduring the visit of President Widodo to India In December 2016. In our discussions today we have assessed the progress made on its implementation. Agreements made between us today will help us to further improve our bilateral relations.I am happy that we have decided to upgrade our partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We will double our efforts to take our bilateral trade to the level of $ 50 billion by 2025. And I also congratulate the positive contribution of our CEO Forum to help in these efforts.
Friends,
Since millennia we have had strong cultural relations between the two countries. A glimpse of these was also seen in the parade held during our Republic Day this year. Tableau highlightingASEAN-India relations in this year’s parade had depicted the "Bali Jatra" festival of India's Odisha state. This annual festival is an example of the fact that our thousands of years of cultural relations are still going strong today. Next year in 2019, we will celebrate 70th anniversary of establishment of our diplomatic relations.During this time, many festivals will be organized in both the countries. A large number of Indian tourists visit Indonesia, especially Bali. By making Uttarakhand and Bali twins, this exchange will further increase.Most of the population in both countries is young. To realize the dreams of these young people and to create employment opportunities for them, we can learn from each other in the fields of education and skill development. We have agreed to increase our cooperation in education and science and technology. We welcome the ideas of Indonesian leadership to increase cooperation and extend cooperation in the IT services sector of India. This will be a beneficial partnership for both countries.
Friends,
India-ASEAN partnership is such a force for peace and shared progress in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.We value the positive role of Indonesia in the ASEAN. The efforts of this association for comprehensive regional cooperation and integration is also an example and an inspiration. I have expressed our gratitude to President Widodo for the strong support of Indonesia in developing India's strategic partnership in ASEAN.I offer my best wishes to Indonesia for hosting the 18th Asian Games in August. I believe this will be a very spectacular and historic event. And in this holy month of Ramadan, I wish for the prosperity, good health and success of all the people of Indonesia on behalf of 1.25 billionIndians and congratulate them for the upcomingfestival of Id-ul-Fitr.
Many many thanks.