By IANS
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will leave Sunday on a four-day visit to Indonesia and Singapore – a trip that is set to reinvigorate India's growing economic and strategic ties with Southeast Asia and put spotlight on its 'Look East' policy.
Mukherjee will reach Jakarta Sunday evening and will co-chair a meeting of the India-Indonesia Joint Commission with his counterpart Nur Hassan Wirajuda the next day, the external affairs ministry said here Friday while announcing the minister's visit.
The joint commission will discuss a broad array of bilateral issues aimed at enhancing cooperation in economy and trade, defence, space, tourism, IT, health and pharmaceuticals.
The two ministers will discuss a set of steps to double bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2010, a target is not difficult to achieve given growing interest of business community in each other's country.
Firming up defence cooperation with Indonesia, a key strategic partner of India in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is high on Mukherjee's agenda. The Indonesian parliament has already ratified a defence cooperation agreement with India that is likely to include joint training of defence personnel.
The ministers will also discuss proposals for stepping up maritime security of the vital and strategic Straits of Malacca.
On Saturday, Mukherjee will be on a daylong trip to Shillong, the capital of India's northeastern state of Meghalaya for a dialogue with people of the region that shares geographical contiguity and cultural affinity with south-east Asia.
Mukherjee will head to Singapore Monday evening where he will launch an Indian business forum to spur more trade and investment between the two countries, which have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between them. Nearly 2,500 Indian companies are doing business in Singapore, making them the fourth largest business community in that country.
Besides meeting his counterpart George Yeo, the minister will call on Singapore President S.R. Nathan, a Singaporean of Tamil Indian descent, and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and discuss a broad range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
Mukherjee will also deliver the prestigious Distinguished Public Lecture Wednesday on 'India's Foreign Policy Priorities,' which has been organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He will also release 12th volume of Chalo Delhi, the 12th volume of collected works of Subhash Chandra Bose, written by his grand-nephew Sugato Bose and visit the Indian National Army memorial to pay tribute to Netaji.