During his visit to India last year, President Barack Obama urged India to engage East and South-East Asian countries “to enhance security and prosperity of all our nations”.
Indians are doing exactly that: the chief guest at India’s 62nd Republic Day celebrations this week was Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president – head of state of a formidable naval power that India views as a strategic partner.
The President’s two-day visit culminated not only in an expansion of strategic military co-operation agreements but also in trade deals worth more than $15bn – matching the agreements signed with other leaders who visited India last year.