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In a bid to deepen bilateral ties, India seeks to expand its strategic partnership with South Korea into new frontiers such as critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, and green hydrogen, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized on Wednesday.

 

Jaishankar's remarks were made during the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM), where he co-chaired alongside his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul.

 

Reflecting on the evolution of bilateral relations since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to South Korea in 2015, Jaishankar highlighted the elevation of ties to a special strategic partnership.

 

He stressed the need to capitalize on this partnership by exploring new avenues of collaboration while maintaining momentum in traditional areas of cooperation.

 

"We would be very much interested now in expanding into 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," Jaishankar affirmed.

 

Acknowledging growing convergence in views, particularly on the Indo-Pacific region's stability and prosperity, Jaishankar emphasized the significance of Indo-Korean cooperation on international platforms.

 

Approaching the joint commission with optimism, Jaishankar underscored the importance of translating goodwill into tangible outcomes, citing the recent high-level interactions between leaders of both nations as guiding principles.

 

In extending congratulations to Cho for his appointment as foreign minister, Jaishankar expressed optimism for a fruitful tenure ahead.

 

Jaishankar's visit to Seoul marks the first leg of his four-day trip to South Korea and Japan, underscoring India's commitment to bolstering ties with key Asian partners.

 

The JCM is anticipated to conduct a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation, identifying avenues for further enhancement while facilitating dialogue on regional and global issues of mutual concern.

 

As both nations navigate a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, this meeting reaffirms their commitment to deepening strategic collaboration in pursuit of shared objectives.