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››Navy chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar is expected to visit Indonesia and the Philippines later this year

Navy chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar is expected to visit Indonesia and the Philippines later this year

By Kimberly Carbonell
June 25, 2022
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Photo: iStock

HIGHLIGHTS

  • The navy chief has just visited the Maldives and the Seychelles, and there too India has reached out for closer ties.
  • A senior Philippine foreign ministry official told TIMES NOW that the purchase is just the start of the defense partnership between the two countries.
New Delhi: In the wake of the QUAD countries (India, Australia, Japan and the United States of America) calling for a rapprochement with ASEAN, the Chief of the Navy, Admiral R. Hari Kumarwill likely travel to Indonesia and the Philippines later this year.
While the dates for the visit are being worked out, it is clear that this could be an important trip and the elephant in the room during discussions will be China. The Navy chief has just visited the Maldives and the Seychelles, two island states in the Indian Ocean and here too India has sought closer ties, especially with the former, again bearing in mind the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (Navy).

The two countries are particularly important for India: the Philippines is particularly important as a market for Indian armaments, having just purchased for 370 million US dollars the Brahmos cruise missile, which is practically unstoppable, being supersonic and with a range of about 300 km. Indian experts are already in the Philippines, working to set up the systems and Antonio Morales, a senior Philippine foreign ministry official, told TIMES NOW that the purchase is just the start of the defense partnership between the two countries. The transfer of a second batch of Brahmos missiles is also under discussion, now that the new government is in place.

The Philippines and China have serious border disputes, with Beijing creating artificial islands in the South China Sea and expanding its EEZ. The Philippines had sought international arbitration but did not get much justice despite a favorable verdict.

Indonesia is the largest of the ten ASEAN countries and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was there not too long ago. It is also strategically important because the southernmost tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is not too far from Sumatra, the westernmost Indonesian island. The Strait of Malacca is also an important “choke point” and is of strategic importance. Closer naval cooperation is expected after the visit.

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