India’s Proximity Archives

South Asia 
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US on February 12-13, during which he held a bilateral meeting with President Trump. The leaders unveiled a new initiative, the “U.S.-India COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century,” designed to effect transformative change in key areas of collaboration. The Joint Statement indicates detailed discussions encompassing defence, trade and investment, energy security, technological innovation, multilateral collaboration, and people-to-people exchanges.  

Southeast Asia
Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks to strengthen economic and defence ties on February 12.  The two leaders held the first High Level Strategic Council meeting, the highest bilateral forum for the two countries. They also witnessed the signing of a dozen agreements, including on trade, investment, education, energy, agriculture, health, and religious services. They also signed a deal on the joint development of a Baykar combat-drone factory in Indonesia for military use.  Erdogan pledged that his country would invest in developing Indonesia’s new capital on Borneo Island. In addition, the two heads of state also agreed to strengthen defence and security cooperation which includes improving military education and training, intelligence cooperation, and counterterrorism.

East Asia
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi and South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul reinforced their comprehensive trilateral partnership for security, economic resilience, and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific in Munich, on February 15. They pledged to enhance defence cooperation through trilateral military exercises, strengthen national deterrence, and strongly opposed unilateral attempts to alter the regional status quo, particularly in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. Further reiterating their commitment to denuclearising North Korea, the leaders emphasised addressing cyber threats and countering DPRK-Russia military cooperation.  

West Asia
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Riyadh on February 18. Major issues discussed by them included establishing a consultation mechanism to address irritants in bilateral relations and taking steps to normalise operations of respective diplomatic missions; appointing high-level teams to work on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine that is acceptable to all sides; and laying the groundwork for cooperation on mutual geopolitical interests as well as economic and investment opportunities.  

Central Asia
On February 17, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó held talks in Astana, reaffirming their commitment to deepening strategic ties and expanding economic cooperation. Special emphasis was placed on boosting trade and economic relations. Further steps to deepen economic ties were discussed, including opening Hungarian bank branches in Kazakhstan, constructing a multimodal cargo terminal in Budapest, boosting Kazakh oil exports to Hungary, and establishing uranium and critical minerals trade. A significant move in these efforts will be the creation of a joint investment fund.

Indian Ocean Region
INS Shardul and a P8I maritime surveillance aircraft arrived in Bali, Indonesia, to participate in the Indonesian Navy International Fleet Review (IFR) 2025. Following the IFR, the platforms will participate in Exercise Komodo, a multilateral naval exercise enhancing maritime interoperability and regional security. The International Fleet Review (IFR) 2025 and the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) are taking place in Bali, Indonesia, from February 15-22, 2025. Over 20 countries are participating in the events, including the US, Russia, China, India, and Australia.