South Korea's Foreign Minister to begin India visit starting Friday

Seoul, Aug 14 South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun will arrive in India on Friday on a two-day visit during which he is scheduled to attend a number of key engagements besides holding bilateral discussions with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.

During his visit, the two nations will discuss ways to boost exchanges and cooperation, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Affairs Lee Jaewoong emphasised on Thursday.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun will pay a bilateral visit to India from August 15 to 17. During the visit, Foreign Minister Cho will attend a number of key engagements, including a meeting with Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India,"' Lee Jaewoong told reporters during a media briefing in Seoul on Thursday.

"With this year marking the 10th anniversary of the Korea-India Special Strategic Partnership, the two sides will discuss ways to boost exchanges and cooperation with a view to deepening bilateral ties," he added.

The South Korean Foreign Minister had his first telephone conversation with EAM Jaishankar on July 28 to exchange views on Korea-India relations and practical cooperation.

"Minister Cho reaffirmed the Korean government's strong commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, which he had previously conveyed during the bilateral summit (June 17) on the occasion of the G7 Summit in Canada and the Presidential Delegation's visit to India (July 16-18) . Minister Cho also called for further revitalization of high-level exchanges between the two countries and continued efforts to strengthen mutually beneficial, substantive cooperation," read a statement issued by Seoul after the phone call.

EAM Jaishankar congratulated Cho, with whom he had already developed a personal relationship while serving as Ambassador to India, on his inauguration as Minister of External Affairs. He also proposed that this year, marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Korea-India Special Strategic Partnership, be strengthened to a new level and that they work together to expand strategic economic cooperation between Korea and India, which holds great potential.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to advancing the India–South Korea Special Strategic Partnership as a delegation of Special Envoys from the country called on him in New Delhi. The delegation was led by South Korea's former PM Kim Boo Kyum and included Representative Lee Kai Ho and Supreme Council Member Song Sun-ho.

"Delighted to receive the delegation of Special Envoys from the Republic of Korea led by Mr. Kim Boo Kyum. Recalled my positive meeting with President Jaemyung Lee last month. India–ROK Special Strategic Partnership, which completes 10 years, continues to grow from innovation and defence to shipbuilding and skilled mobility. Close collaboration between the democracies contributes to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.

The high-level South Korean delegation also called on External Affairs Minister as both sides discussed ways to deepen cooperation in the areas of economy, technology, defence, and maritime security, along with enhancing people-to-people exchanges.

In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar stated, "Delighted to meet RoK President Lee Jae Myung’s delegation of Special Envoys to India led by former PM Kim Boo-kyum this morning in Delhi. Discussed economic, technology, defence and maritime cooperation. As well as expanding people-to-people exchanges. India will engage the new administration actively and work towards further enhancing our Special Strategic Partnership."

India and South Korea began a 'Strategic Partnership' in 2010, which was elevated to 'Special Strategic Partnership' in 2015 during PM Modi's State visit to Seoul. Both nations commemorated 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2023.

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