1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, together with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, held the eighth meeting of the Republic of Korea-India Foreign Ministerial Joint Committee in Seoul on December 29.

2. In the Joint Committee meeting, which followed the one held last year and marked the first of its kind since the launch of the Modi government in India in May, the two Ministers discussed ways to step up substantive cooperation in a wide range of fields, including high-level exchanges, national defense and relevant industry, trade, investment, infrastructure, energy, science, technology, social affairs and culture.

◦ The two Ministers, taking note of active high-level exchanges between the two countries of late, agreed to realize Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the ROK, National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa’s visit to India and dialogue between the national security chiefs of the two countries at a mutually convenient time in 2015.

◦ In addition, the two sides noted with appreciation the growing bilateral cooperation on national defense, as demonstrated by the recent entry into force of the bilateral Agreement on the Protection of Classified Military Information, and the plan to hold a deputy ministerial-level dialogue on national defense strategy and a meeting on the exchange of relevant information. They exchanged views on the possible participation of Korean companies in India’s defense projects.

◦ The two Ministers agreed to hold a Joint Committee meeting during the visit to the ROK by India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry in February 2015 to improve the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in continued efforts to promote bilateral investment and trade. In addition, Minister Yun asked the Indian government to take keen interest in and help Posco make progress in its Odisha project and efforts to build the Korean Industrial Complex for Korean companies in Rajasthan move smoothly forward. He also asked for interest in and support for bids of Korean companies to participate in the new Indian government’s key projects designed to cultivate the manufacturing sector and beef up infrastructure.

◦ The two Ministers agreed to seek creative ways to move forward with the negotiations for a bilateral air service agreement in a mutually beneficial manner. They also took note of the progress in nuclear cooperation, including the first regular consultation on nuclear energy held in Mumbai earlier in December. In addition, they exchanged views on ways to work together on shipbuilding.

◦ Furthermore, the two Ministers noted with appreciation the growing cooperation in science and technology, as demonstrated by the fund raised for relevant cooperation and the new joint project on practical application of technology. In the fields of social affairs and culture, the two sides agreed to make efforts to further boost exchanges between their youths and those studying in each other’s countries.

3. In addition, the two Ministers, in their exchange of in-depth views on regional and global issues, drew a common understanding that the two countries should continue cooperation on recently increasing transnational cyber attacks and maritime security threats. Minister Yun explained the ROK government’s position on North Korea’s nuclear and other issues. In response, Minister Swaraj expressed the Indian government’s firm support for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula as well as the ROK government’s policy toward North Korea.

4. During President Park Geun-hye’s state visit to India in January, the ROK and India set a joint future vision to boost the ROK-India strategic partnership over the next 40 years. In the wake of the inauguration of Prime Minister Modi in May, the two countries undertook the following diplomatic activities in efforts to maintain and strengthen momentum of bilateral cooperation: the telephone conversation between the Foreign Ministers on June 24 and that between President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Modi on July 22; the Foreign Ministers’ meeting on August 10 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting; the Vice-Ministerial Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue on August 29; the meeting of Directors-General of the Foreign Ministries on October 24; and the summit talks on November 12 on the sidelines of the East Asian Summit (EAS). The eighth Joint Committee meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to deepen and expand the scope of the bilateral strategic partnership forged in 2010 and to further bolster the foundation of substantive cooperation. 


                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation