‘Sabang Port Is Of Great Strategic Import But Trade Must Underpin It’

NEW DELHI: India and Indonesia are maritime neighbours yet their decision to connect via the sea — Andaman islands with Sabang port in Aceh province — is of recent origin, dating back two years. In this exclusive interview with StratNews Global Deputy Editor Parul Chandra, Indonesia’s ambassador to India Sidharto Suryodipuro, reflects on the strategic import of the Andaman-Sabang link, underscoring the point that this connect must be broad-based, meaning it should be made sustainable through commerce and people-to-people contact.

Ambassador Surayadipuro shared his views on the Quad as well as the Indo-Pacific, providing an insight into the thinking of a country which sits in the heart of the region. He also disclosed that the India-Indonesia-Australia trilateral meeting, currently being held at the official level, is being elevated to the ministerial level.

Watch this interview for more including his views on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (which India has refused to join) and the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, which has crucial implications for Asean’s political and strategic independence.