India has asked Indonesia to urgently repatriate Indian seafarers, who have been detained on board commercial vessels in the archipelagic nation.
Eighty-seven Indian sailors were reportedly detained in February by the Indonesian authorities for illegal anchoring in its territorial water.
According to a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesian officials have assured to accord the matter high priority in view of humanitarian aspect and excellent bilateral relations during the first India-Indonesia consular dialogue held in Yogyakarta.
The Indian delegation was led by Sanjiv Arora, Secretary of Consular, Passport and Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs. The Indonesian delegation was led by Dr Andri Hadi, Director General for Protocol and Consular Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The dialogue also focussed on ensuring well being of Indian and Indonesian prisoners and facilitating mechanisms to ensure smooth and regular consular access.
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