Indians leaving shores of India more confident now as they have govt to back them, says Jaishankar in Seoul

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that Indians leaving the shores of India are more confident now as they know if anything goes wrong there is a government to back them and look after them.

Addressing the Indian community in Seoul on Tuesday, Jaishankar said, “…You can see, today, an Indian leaving the shores of India, does so with a confidence which they didn’t have before. They have the confidence that whatever happens out there, there is a government which will look after them. That’s a very big feeling because when we look at the state of the world, more and more Indians will explore global work opportunities….”

#WATCH | Addressing the Indian Community in Seoul, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "...You can see, today, an Indian leaving the shores of India, does so with a confidence which they didn't have before. They have the confidence that whatever happens out there, there is a government… pic.twitter.com/xkXz2uwwup

— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2024

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Jaishankar is in Seoul on the first leg of his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.

He will co-chair the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul tomorrow.

Jaishankar said it’s not always easy living outside your country as your hearts and minds are always in India.

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“…It’s not always easy living outside your country…Those who live abroad also know that in many ways, a large part of your hearts and minds is always in India. All of you in different ways contribute to the progress of our country,” said the External Affairs Minister.

#WATCH | Addressing the Indian Community in Seoul, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "...It's not always easy living outside your country...Those who live abroad also know that in many ways, a large part of your hearts and minds is always in India. All of you in different ways contribute… pic.twitter.com/wTttZET9io

— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2024

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar delivered a speech on ‘Broadening horizons: India-Korea Partnership in the Indo-Pacific’ at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

Talking about the India-South Korea ties, he said that both the countries have expanded in different sectors and are acquiring “great salience” in a “more uncertain and volatile world”, adding, that it is time now to introspect and strategise how the two partners could be doing more by making efforts differently.

“Its a great pleasure to speak to you today about India’s partnership with Republic of Korea, one that is acquiring great salience in a more uncertain and volatile world. Our ties have been described as a special strategic partnership since 2015. This is not just a phrase but an assessment to which we have tried to live up to since then. In different domains, cooperation has expanded and benefits are visible. Yet, this is also a time to introspect and strategise how we could be doing more by doing differently,” said Jaishankar.

The external affairs minister recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Korea in 2015 and 2019. Terming trade as metric of judgment of ties between two nations, Jaishankar stressed that the bilateral trade has touched roughly around USD 25 billion.

“The frequency and intensity of contacts is one way of judging any relationship. In recent years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Yoon have met twice as I did with my previous counterpart. Many of you will be aware that Prime Minister Modi has in fact been to Republic of Korea himself twice, once in 2015 and once in 2019,” Jaishankar said.

“Trade is another metric of judgement and this today between us is roughly around USD 25 billion plus minus level. Companies of both countries have made significant investments in the other. We note that your economic cooperation in development fund has committed to two significant infrastructure projects in India. The sovereign wealth fund KIC has opened its office in our country. Our defence cooperation recorded a success in the joint efforts of … and Larsen and Toubro and we each have a community in other countries about 15000 in our case and some what less in yours,” he said.

The foreign minister noted that the full picture of India-South Korea ties requires an understanding of its political dimensions.

Calling both nations “democracies and market economies,” Jaishankar stated that the modern history of two nations holds some parallels and noted that India and South Korea have faced challenges like terrorism and WMD proliferation.

“A full picture of our ties also requires an understanding of its political dimensions. We are both democracies, market economies, and believers in the rule of law. Our modern history holds some parallels, and both of us have paid the price of events beyond our control,” said the Minister.

“In recent years, challenges like terrorism and WMD proliferation have impacted our national security. We have learnt to be sensitive to changing currents of the global order. While our solutions may be suited to our particular national circumstances, working together has always been to our common advantage,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar also held a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Dukgeun in Seoul.

He also met with think tank representatives of South Korea and earlier called on Director of National Security Chang Ho-jin.

With inputs from agencies