India, Nov. 28 -- India and Indonesia on Thursday reiterated the importance of maintaining a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific, guided by international law and respect for sovereignty, against the backdrop of China's growing assertiveness in the region.

In their wide-ranging talks, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin also broadly agreed to set up a joint defence industry cooperation committee to ensure bilateral collaboration in areas of transfer of military technologies and for supply-chain linkages.

India's experience in submarine development and supply-chain management, including the Scorpene-class submarine programme, was acknowledged as highly valuable for Indonesia's future...