New Delhi, October 6
India and South Korea today closed ranks on a host of important bilateral and international issues like international terrorism and expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and also vowed to work together on WTO-related issues.
They declared their resolve to continue their consultations for expanding cooperation in the fight against international terrorism through various international and bilateral mechanisms.
“Terrorism cannot be justified wherever, whenever and for whatever reason and is to be condemned in all its forms and manifestations,” the two sides said in a joint statement released at the end of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun’s three-day state visit to India today.
They reiterated their commitment to continue their fight against terrorism and agreed that the fight against terrorism had to be a comprehensive and sustained effort.
On the United Nations, the two countries noted that it was crucial to make the UN Security Council more representative and effective, including through expanding its membership. They agreed to closely work together in this regard.
The two sides resolved to take India-South Korea relationship to a higher level in the 21st century and to facilitate this they decided to establish a “long-term cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity”.
The two sides have also established a broad-based foreign policy and security dialogue which will cover regional and international security issues, bilateral, defence and service-to-service exchanges and counter terrorism. It was also agreed that this dialogue will be held alternately in India and South Korea beginning from 2005.
Both sides expressed their support for the efforts of the international community for a peaceful resolution of the issues of de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The Indian side also expressed support for efforts to bring about peace in the Korean peninsula through dialogue and welcomed the recent developments in inter-Korean relations.
On the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), of which both India and South Korea are dialogue partners, the two countries agreed to cooperate with the regional body for the development of the region.
President Roh invited President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to South Korea. The Indian side accepted the invitations. The dates of the visits will be decided through diplomatic channels.
The South Korean President led a high-level delegation, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Lee Hee-beom, and Minister of Information and Communication Chin Dae-je, apart from leading representatives of business and industry.
President Roh met President Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance Coordination Committee Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh.
They agreed to continue policy dialogues in the economic and trade area with a view to developing the bilateral relations into a more comprehensive and future-oriented one. As part of such an initiative, the two sides will establish a joint study group (JSG), composed of government officials, economists and representatives of business community, to take a comprehensive view of bilateral economic linkages between the two countries.
The JSG will also examine the feasibility of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between India and South Korea. It will start its work in January 2005 and submit its report within a year.
In consideration of the importance of Mumbai as an economic and trade centre in India, the South Koreans conveyed to the Indians that it planned to upgrade its office in Mumbai to a Consulate-General.
The two sides agreed to enhance their air connectivity in order to facilitate enhanced trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges and to explore ways and means for improved shipping links between the two sides.
Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in various areas, including information and communication technology, infrastructure, textiles, petro-chemicals, oil and gas field development.
The Indian side drew attention to its successful cooperation in the launch of KITSAT III in 1999, and proposed that both sides should explore further cooperation in the field of space. The Korean side agreed to consider the proposal.
The joint statement said India and South Korea agreed to designate the third week of November 2004 as “Korea week” in India and a corresponding “India Week” in South Korea in September/ October 2005.
This will help raise the visibility of one country in the other, promote mutual awareness and highlight the cultural dimension of their relationship.
