An official banquet hosted by a head of state for another rarely results in light-hearted moments, not to mention one jokingly expressing relief that the other’s government schemes do not have any copyrights. But this is what happened during a banquet hosted by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘I copied your programmes’
The Indonesian President, directly addressing PM Modi, candidly admitted that he copies the Prime Minister’s government schemes, which have proven success records and can be applied to his country as it shares similar problems, including a large population.
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“I follow your career, and I copied many of your programmes. I don’t mind admitting, because if it succeeds for hundreds of million people with the same background as Indonesia, the same problems, we are making the same, we have the same problems of a big population, we have agriculture in the background, we face many natural disasters, and yet India has achieved much progress. So I openly admit that I follow your career and I copied a lot of your programmes,” said Subianto.
Copyright quip
Then came the quip that left the delegates at the banquets smiling. “And it’s proving to be successful for us. So, thank you very much. I’m very happy there’s no copyright to all your programmes,” said Subianto as quoted by YEARS.
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“In fact, I think just yesterday, a team from Indonesia just came back from, I think, two or three weeks of study of the achievements many Indian groups have achieved in making arid land arable again. It’s called permaculture. So we are studying this closely, and we have a lot to learn, and we are not afraid of learning.”
Key agreements
Earlier on Tuesday (July 6) PM Modi and President Subianto announced a series of initiatives to deepen ties.
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Among the key outcomes was a Memorandum of Understanding on the BrahMos-Astra missile programme, alongside India’s decision to establish IIT and IIM Bangalore campuses in Indonesia. The two countries also signed agreements covering artificial intelligence, technology, space, critical minerals, agriculture, maritime safety and disaster management.
Broader cooperation
“We have signed an agreement to deepen collaboration in tech, AI, and startup businesses,” PM Modi said, while announcing the IIM-B campus.
The leaders also agreed to work towards linking their QR payment systems and cooperate in conserving the UNESCO-listed Prambanan Temple Complex. Indonesia further honoured PM Modi with its highest civilian award, the ‘Bintang Adipurna’, recognising his contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.
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