On Tuesday, the Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, stated that the era in which a few number of nations exerted "disproportionate influence" over the process of changing the global order is now a thing of the past. As a result, India and South Korea have an increasing obligation to actively contribute to the process.
During his two-day visit to Korea, Jaishankar, who is now in the country, made a statement at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. He stated that India's partnership with the Republic of Korea is becoming increasingly significant in a world that is becoming more uncertain and turbulent.
It is becoming increasingly important for India and South Korea to actively participate in the process of changing the global order with their contributions. In his words, "the era in which a small number of powers exerted a disproportionate amount of influence over that process is now completely behind us."
Willy-nilly, it has evolved into an endeavor that is more collaborative and has a wider perspective. The fact that multilateralism has likewise come to a standstill and is being supplanted by plurilateralism to a significant degree is another point for him to consider.
In his statement, Jaishankar stated that concerns like as the prevention of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the guaranteeing of maritime safety and security, are of basic importance to both countries.
In recent years, threats such as terrorism and the development of weapons of mass destruction have had an effect on our nation's security. To be attuned to the shifting currents of the global order is something that we have learned. Despite the fact that our answers could be appropriate for the specific conditions of our nation, he stated that working together has always been to our mutual benefit.
In addition to highlighting the fact that the Indo-Pacific area has established itself as a result of geopolitical upheavals that have occurred over the course of the past few decades, he stated that as the problems changed and capacities were stretched, a more coherent effort was required not just with regard to its own resources but also with regard to working with additional partners.
It is becoming increasingly clear that India's interests in the Indo-Pacific region are expanding on a daily basis in terms of commerce, investment, services, resources, logistics, and technology. As a result, it is of the utmost importance for us to guarantee the stability, safety, and security of this region. In the same way that we have a responsibility to accomplish world good, we also have a responsibility to the global commons, he explained.
It is essential, according to Jaishankar, for the two countries to increase their level of involvement in a variety of fields in order to fully realize their potential.
Specifically, he stated that the two countries require additional political negotiations as well as additional strategic interactions.
The business relationships and technological exchanges that we have need to be strengthened. In order for our CEPA to be updated, the evaluation that has been lingering for a very long time needs to be accelerated. It will be necessary for us to locate additional crossroads and sites of meeting that are convenient for both of us, he said.
It will also be necessary for us to work together more closely, taking into account the unique qualities that each of us brings to the table. Currently, all of us are pondering the possibility of a re-globalization that would be significantly influenced by the development of new technologies. "This provides our two countries with the opportunity to advance while simultaneously making a contribution to a better world," he stated.
He stated that he was sure that the collaboration between India and South Korea might have the potential to become a big player in the Indo-Pacific region if they broadened their areas of focus.
India has its own semiconductor mission, as well as initiatives in many other new and emerging technologies, he added, "Our expectation is that even within a few years, a very different larger ecosystem will take shape in India." He made this statement while pointing out that India has its own semiconductor mission. The number of opportunities for collaboration between India and the Republic of Korea will undoubtedly increase as a result of this circumstance. "Permit me to add here that even as we seek to strengthen our bilateral ties, there are a number of international initiatives in which our shared participation would certainly contribute to the bilateral facet of our relationship as well," he added. "It is essential that we take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of these initiatives."
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the Minerals Security Partnership are two examples of efforts that have caught our attention as potential opportunities. It was said by Jaishankar that our national initiatives have points of convergence in important fields such as digital delivery and sustainable energy.
The relationship between us has been referred to as a Special Strategic Partnership ever since the year 2015. This is not merely a term; rather, it is an evaluation that we have endeavored to fulfill our obligations to since that time. There has been an increase in cooperation across a variety of disciplines, and the benefits are now obvious. On the other hand, this is also an opportunity to reflect and plan out ways in which we could do more by doing things differently," he went on to say.
Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Yoon had met twice in recent years, as he did with his previous counterpart, Jaishankar stated that the alliance between India and Korea is significant, but even more so when they consider the impact that it has on the Indo-Pacific region.
Additionally, he mentioned that the defense collaboration between Hanwha and L&T had been successful in the joint efforts of the two companies. He stated that the commerce between the two countries is approximately around USD 25 billion plus or minus the level.
"Over the course of the past four years, we have witnessed the worldwide economy and even global civilization succumbing to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic... After then, we are taking part in two conflicts that are still going on, one of which is taking place in Ukraine, and the other is taking place in the Middle East. He expressed his alarm over the unstable scenario by saying, "The latter has spread to the Red Sea, posing a threat to maritime shipping between Asia and Europe."
Climate-related occurrences are yet another aspect that we must take into consideration because they are expected to occur with greater frequency in the future. As he put it, "the world cannot be optimistic about the possibility of such shocks in the future."
He went on to say that matters of data privacy and cyber security are becoming increasingly important concerns, not only for individuals but also for nations. It is not sufficient to devise preventative firewalls or reactive actions to deal with the situation. Among the structural solutions available are those that are founded on trustworthy vendors and trusted geographical locations. Our policies need to be adjusted in accordance with the imperatives of strategic trade, which the government must acknowledge. In his words, "From India's perspective, it is of the utmost importance that there is a lateral connect from the Pacific to the Atlantic that passes through our country." He went on to say that this could very well take shape when the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor initiative gathers pace to the west of India in the Gulf and beyond, and when the trilateral highway connects India all the way to the Vietnam coast.
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