열린장관실

Opening Remarks

10th Korea-India Joint commission Meeting 

(Seoul, March 6, 2024)

Minister Jaishankar, 

A warm welcome to you and your delegation. 

I am delighted to co-chair the 10th Korea-India Joint Commission Meeting with you today.

The large inter-agency representation from both sides speaks volume about the breadth and depth of our shared commitment to further strengthening the “Special Strategic Partnership”between our two countries.

Indeed, Korea and India are core like-minded partners with shared values and aligned vision for the Indo-Pacific region. 

We have deep-rooted historical and cultural ties that date back many centuries. 

Our economies are complementary and our cooperation in critical technologies, among others, is increasingly vibrant. 

And India is an important partner for Korea in the international arena, including in advancing our engagement with the Global South. 

The fact that President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held two summit meetings last year attests to the promise of our relationship.

In fact, I couldn’t agree more with your assessment in your speech at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy yesterday that the “Korea-India partnership can emerge as a significant factor in the Indo-Pacific”.

The JCM today is significant for several reasons. 

First, it is not only my first meeting with you, but also the first high-level exchange between our two countries this year – a year kicking off the next 50 years of our relationship following the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relations last year. 

Second, this is the first JCM to be held in over 6 years. Since the last JCM in 2018, India released its Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative in 2019 and Korea announced its Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2022. This offers great potential for us as we chart a course for our journey together. 

Finally, much has also changed in the region and in the world since the last JCM. So it is high time for us to take stock of where we are now and figure out how best we could work together to advance our mutual interests. 

I very much look forward to in-depth and fruitful discussions today. 

On that brief note, the floor is yours. 

Thank you.