During a recent meeting of the bilateral joint commission in Seoul, Bharat and South Korea discussed plans to broaden their cooperation into new areas. These areas include emerging technologies, semiconductors, green hydrogen, and facilitating the mobility of professionals. The meeting, co-chaired by Bharat’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul, also involved a review of ongoing cooperation in trade, investments, defence, security, science, technology, and people-to-people exchanges.
Jaishankar described the 10th joint commission meeting as comprehensive and productive, emphasizing the discussions on expanded bilateral ties. He highlighted cooperation in defence, science and technology, trade, and cultural exchanges. Additionally, the officials discussed advancing trilateral cooperation and exchanged views on Indo-Pacific developments and mutual regional and global interests.
In his opening remarks, Jaishankar emphasized the importance of the partnership between Bharat and South Korea. He noted the steady growth in bilateral exchanges across various sectors and expressed interest in expanding cooperation into new areas such as critical and emerging technologies, green hydrogen, human resource mobility, nuclear cooperation, and supply chain resilience to modernize the ties further.
The meeting provided a platform for a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation, covering developments of common interest and concern, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Both sides shared their respective visions and strategies for the region. Jaishankar’s visit to South Korea, part of a two-nation tour including Japan, involved meetings with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, trade minister Ahn Dukgeun, and other officials.
During his visit, Jaishankar interacted with heads of Korean think tanks, academics, businesses, and the Indian diaspora. He discussed Bharat’s foreign policy and the potential for Bharat-South Korea relations. In a speech at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Jaishankar emphasized cooperation between the two countries for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Highlighting Bharat’s ancient bond with the Korean people, Jaishankar met a delegation led by the mayor of Gimhae city, Ayodhya’s sister city. This historical connection is reflected in Princess Suriratna from Ayodhya, known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok in South Korea. Jaishankar received a book on Korea’s historical association with ancient Bharat and Buddhism and visited an exhibition at the National Museum of Korea showcasing Bharat’s Buddhist heritage.
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