Sushma to chair India-South Korea meet

The visit is crucial to improve ties with important partner in our “Act East policy”

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will chair the 8th session of the India-South Korea joint commission meeting along with her South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se over the weekend.

The visit is important to improve relations with an important partner in our “Act East policy” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.

Ms. Swaraj is also expected to call on the South Korean President and Defence Minister apart from other senior officials.

This is the first multi-structured discussion between the two countries after the NDA government came into power and improving economic ties will be the major focus.

South Korea has a trade surplus and Ms. Swaraj will discuss steps to reduce it and also impress upon the South Korean industry to invest in India.

Recently, Ms. Swaraj cancelled the tender for eight mine sweeper vessels for the Navy in which a South Korean firm had been shortlisted.

Asked if it would be discussed, MEA Spokesperson said India sought cooperation from South Korea in ship building activities including the defence sector. “South Korea is a major ship building country and we welcome their participation in India as part of the ‘Make in India’ campaign,” he said.

Both sides will also take forward talks on implementing the civil nuclear agreement cooperation, particularly in R&D and personnel training, which was signed in 2011.