 "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. ANI")
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that while India and South Korea have maintained momentum in traditional areas of cooperation, the two countries should now focus on expanding to new areas including critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors and green hydrogen “to make the bilateral ties more contemporary”.
Addressing the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul in Seoul, Jaishankar said, “While keeping up the momentum in the traditional areas of cooperation, we would be very much interested now in expanding it to new areas, such as critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, green hydrogen, human resource mobility, nuclear cooperation, supply chain resilience, etc, to make our ties more contemporary.”
He said India and South Korea have grown from strength to strength in the years gone by and have become important partners for each other.
“And our bilateral exchanges – trade, investments, defence, and S&T cooperation, have all seen steady growth,” he added.
Taking to X after the JCM, Jaishankar said that the meeting covered expanded bilateral ties, cooperation in the field of defence, science & technology, business & trade, people-to-people exchange and cultural cooperation.
“Co-chaired with @FMChoTae_yul a comprehensive and productive 10th 🇮🇳-🇰🇷 Joint Commission Meeting in Seoul today. Conversations covered our expanded bilateral ties, cooperation in the field of defence, science & technology, business & trade, people to people exchange and cultural cooperation. Also spoke of advancing trilateral cooperation,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Exchanged views on the developments in the Indo-Pacific, our convergences to challenges in the region and regional & global issues of mutual interest,” he added.
In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Korea in 2015 the bilateral relations were elevated to a special strategic partnership.
He said the two nations witnessed a growing convergence of their views in the international fora.
“The focus on the Indo-Pacific region is good case to point, and we both have stakes and its stability, security and prosperity,” he said.
Jaishankar said he approached the joint commission with a great deal of optimism and expectation.
“I know there is enormous goodwill between us. Our challenge is to translate that into practical outcomes,” he said.
“Our leaders met twice last year in Hiroshima and New Delhi. I think their discussions have provided us the guidance to go forward,” he added.
He also congratulated Cho for his appointment as foreign minister in December.
“So let me offer my best wishes for your successful tenure,” he said.
Jaishankar is in Seoul on the first leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.
He also met Gimhae City Mayor Hong Tae-yong on Tuesday and discussed greater cultural and educational cooperation with Gimhae City.
“The Gimhae- Ayodhya connect is a testament to our shared cultural heritage and longstanding people-to-people relations,” he said.
The solid emotional connection between Ayodhya and Korea has been attributed to the story of Queen Heo Hwang-ok (Princess Suriratna).
According to Korean legend, the teenage princess from Ayodhya crossed the ocean in a boat some 2,000 years ago, sailed 4,500 kilometres to Korea and married King Kim Suro who founded the Gaya Kingdom in the north Asian country. The princess, Suriratna, then became Queen Heo Hwang-ok.
With inputs from agencies