NEW DELHI: India and Indonesia have completed a joint feasibility study on developing the strategically valuable Sabang port, according to persons aware of the matter.
Sabang port, which is located in the province of Aceh, is roughly 700 km from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The successful development of this vital port would allow India easier access to the Malacca Straits, a narrow stretch of the sea between Indonesia and Malaysia and one of six chokepoints along the world’s maritime trading routes.
A substantial chunk of the world’s good trade passes through the Straits, as does the vast majority of China’s imports of energy. Developing the Sabang Port could bolster India’s military position vis-a-vis China in the Indian Ocean.
In 2018, Indonesia’s then-coordinating minister for maritime affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said Sabang port would be fit to host both shipping vessels and submarines.
His allusion to a possible military use for Sabang spurred a flurry of speculation about the strategic uses of the port for India.
According to the persons cited above, India has completed a feasibility study detailing the prospects for the expansion and development of the port. The study is now being reviewed by Indonesia.
However, progress on building the port has been slow and talks have been on for some years now.
In 2018, both sides set up a task force to boost connectivity between Aceh province and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
“In this regard, the leaders appreciated the decision to set up a Joint Task Force to undertake projects for port related infrastructure in and around Sabang,” the two leaders said in a joint statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first official visit to Indonesia.
