What to Expect from South Korea's Foreign Minister's Visit to India?

Seoul, Aug 14 (NationPress) Cho Hyun, the Foreign Minister of South Korea, will be arriving in India on Friday for a two-day visit. His agenda includes several significant engagements and discussions with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.

During this visit, both nations aim to explore avenues to enhance exchanges and collaboration, as emphasized by Lee Jaewoong, spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday.

"Minister Cho Hyun is set to undertake a bilateral visit to India from August 15 to 17. He will participate in various important engagements, including discussions with Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister," Lee Jaewoong informed reporters in a media briefing held in Seoul.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Korea-India Special Strategic Partnership, both sides will focus on ways to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations.

The South Korean Foreign Minister previously held his inaugural telephone conversation with EAM Jaishankar on July 28 to discuss Korea-India relations and practical collaboration.

During this call, Minister Cho reiterated the strong commitment of the Korean government towards fortifying bilateral ties, a sentiment he had previously shared during the bilateral summit on June 17 at the G7 Summit in Canada, as well as during the Presidential Delegation's visit to India from July 16-18. He also advocated for more high-level exchanges and ongoing efforts to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation.

In a congratulatory message, EAM Jaishankar expressed his joy at Cho's inauguration as Minister of External Affairs, noting their personal rapport developed during Jaishankar's tenure as India's Ambassador to South Korea. He proposed that the 10th anniversary of the Korea-India Special Strategic Partnership should lead to stronger ties and expanded strategic economic cooperation.

Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's dedication to strengthening the India–South Korea Special Strategic Partnership when he received a delegation of Special Envoys in New Delhi, led by former South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo Kyum.

"I was pleased to meet the delegation of Special Envoys from the Republic of Korea led by Mr. Kim Boo Kyum. I fondly remembered my constructive meeting with President Jaemyung Lee last month. The India–ROK Special Strategic Partnership, which marks a decade, continues to evolve from innovation and defence to shipbuilding and skilled mobility. Our close collaboration as democracies contributes to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," PM Modi shared on X after the meeting.

The high-level delegation from South Korea also met with the External Affairs Minister, where both parties discussed methods to deepen cooperation in economic, technological, defence, and maritime security sectors, alongside enhancing people-to-people exchanges.

In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar expressed, "It was a pleasure to engage with the delegation of Special Envoys from RoK led by former PM Kim Boo-kyum this morning in Delhi. We deliberated on economic, technology, defence, and maritime cooperation, as well as the expansion of people-to-people exchanges. India will proactively engage with the new administration to further enhance our Special Strategic Partnership."

The 'Strategic Partnership' between India and South Korea was initiated in 2010 and elevated to a 'Special Strategic Partnership' in 2015 during PM Modi's visit to Seoul. Both nations celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.