EAM Jaishankar Holds Wide-Ranging Talks with South Korean Counterpart

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 8th April. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with his South Korean counterpart Park Jin on Friday to discuss ways to advance the two countries’ special strategic partnership.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific, a region where China’s military assertiveness has grown.

Park is in India for two days.

“I’m really very glad to have the opportunity to take forward our special strategic partnership. This is also the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations,” S Jaishankar said in his opening remarks at the meeting.

“And you come at a very good time, because our trade is very good, our political relations are very cooperative,” he said.

Park emphasised the two sides’ shared values and commitment to the Indo-Pacific in his remarks.

 “We are both exemplary democracies, vibrant economies and cultural powers and we are both committed to contributing to a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,” he said. “In this way, South Korea and India are natural partners and I have a strong belief that the special strategic partnership between our two countries is the strongest partnership in the Indo-Pacific region,” the South Korean foreign minister said.

Park also mentioned India’s “increasingly pivotal role” on the international stage, and how the country will have an even greater impact as the G20 president.

“India has also demonstrated to the world its cultural prowess with the recent Oscar win, and I must say the ‘Naatu Naatu’ song and dance has captivated the world,” he added.

Park spoke with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar before meeting with S Jaishankar.

Park will depart for Chennai on Saturday morning.

“I know tomorrow you’re visiting the Hyundai plant in Chennai. So that itself, Hyundai in many ways is a symbol of the relationship that we have,” S Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.

“We have also expanded our relationship today to cover the economic development cooperation fund; we are doing projects under that,” he said.