India has articulated its inclination to broaden its strategic alliance with South Korea across novel domains such as critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, green hydrogen, human resource mobility, nuclear collaboration, and supply chain resilience. This proposition aims to contemporize the affiliations between the two nations, as conveyed by EAM Jaishankar on Wednesday.

Jaishankar, while co-chairing the 10th India-South Korea Joint Commission meeting in New Delhi, emphasized the evolution of Indo-Korean relations since the elevation to a special strategic partnership during the Prime Minister’s visit in 2015. He underscored the need to uphold this distinction, asserting, “We have grown from strength to strength in the years that have transpired.”

The Foreign Minister acknowledged the substantial progress in bilateral exchanges encompassing trade, investments, defense, and S&T cooperation. Despite maintaining momentum in traditional collaborative areas, Jaishankar expressed a keen interest in expanding the partnership into uncharted territories. These include critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, green hydrogen, human resource mobility, nuclear collaboration, and supply chain resilience.

Highlighting the burgeoning alignment of perspectives on the global stage, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, Jaishankar stressed the mutual interest both nations hold in the region’s stability, security, and prosperity.

While recognizing the goodwill between India and Korea, Jaishankar presented the challenge of translating this goodwill into tangible outcomes. He referred to the meetings between leaders in Hiroshima and New Delhi the previous year as providing valuable guidance for future endeavors.

Currently embarked on a four-day visit to South Korea and Japan, Jaishankar’s stay in Seoul forms the inaugural segment of his diplomatic journey. The Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) is anticipated to thoroughly evaluate the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation, with a focus on fortifying existing ties.

The Ministry of External Affairs anticipates the JCM to offer an avenue for both nations to exchange perspectives on regional and global matters of shared interest, as communicated in New Delhi ahead of Jaishankar’s diplomatic mission.