Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Jakarta, his first stop of his three-nation visit to maritime neighbours - Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. India and Indonesia elevated their bilateral ties to that of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnerhsip to step up defence and maritime cooperation, with plans to develop a strategic Indonesian naval port in the Indian Ocean. The Prime Minister's five-day visit is aimed at enhancing India's engagements - strategic and business - with all the three countries, which are part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Prime Minister expressed the hope that this visit will further boost India's Act East policy. PM Modi's visit is being seen as a new shift in strategic ties with Indonesia, in the backdrop of China's rising influence in the Pacific region.
