REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and her Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj held talks here on Friday to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

At the fifth joint commission meeting held at the Pancasila Building in the Foreign Ministry compound, the two ministers discussed ways to enhance strategic partnership and bilateral ties between the two countries.

The two ministers agreed to cooperate on a number of issues in the roadmap of the Indonesia-India strategic partnership until 2025.

They discussed steps to expand cooperation in the fields of politics, defense, and security, by expediting the finalization of the defense cooperation agreement, joint production in the defense industry, and strengthening maritime security cooperation to fight against piracy and illegal fishing.

"We also have agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism, including implementing a de-radicalization program and developing a legal framework of cooperation in fighting against organized transnational crimes and cyber threat," Retno stressed.

The two countries have also agreed to speed up negotiations on an exclusive economic zone between the two countries.

The two nations agreed to facilitate trade between the two countries by creating greater market access and facilitating investments in various sectors, including pharmacy, mining, and connectivity.

India is the biggest market for Indonesian palm oil, valued at US$2.97 billion in 2016.

The trade between Indonesia and India reached US$14.846 billion in the January-October 2017 period.

The two ministers also discussed ways to intensify people-to-people contact between the two nations.

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