Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed defence and anti-terror cooperation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is in Delhi on a two-day visit to the country. “Indonesia is our most important partner as part of our ‘Act East’ policy,” Modi said in a joint statement. “We have shared economic and strategic interests. Highlighting the “shared values” of both nations, he added, “Our nations and societies have nurtured strong bonds of business and culture.”

Widodo on Sunday had said that he would like to forge closer ties with India and that the two countries must cooperate closely in areas such as defence, security and counter-terrorism, PTI reported. Widodo, who reached India for a two-day visit on Monday, said he was looking forward to have discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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“This is something that we are currently discussing...both our countries have large maritime territories, so cooperation in this sphere is welcome,” Widodo had said. He also said that no country is immune from terrorist attacks, and India and Indonesia should work together to fight terrorism.

Indonesia is the second largest trading partner of India among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and bilateral trade between the countries has increased from $6.9 billion (more than Rs 43,000 crore) in 2007-2008 to $19.03 billion (more than Rs 1,20,000 crore) in 2014-2015, PTI reported. However, in the past one year, the bilateral trade fell to $9 billion (Rs 56,000 crore) because of global economic situation.

Widodo said he would like India to invest more in Indonesia, especially in the pharmaceutical and infrastructure sectors. “We have huge infrastructure needs, including toll roads, power plants, ports and airports,” Widodo said.

The Indonesian President also said the country was willing to work with India to bring more equity into the international order through forums like World Trade Organisation and the United Nations. The volume of trade between India and Indonesia has been small and declining, according to data released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.