India-S.Korea Decides To Upgrade Bilateral Relationship To Special Strategic Partnership
18 May, Seoul
India and South Korea have decided to upgrade the bilateral relationship to Special Strategic Partnership.This was announced jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye in Seoul after delegation level talks Monday.
The two countries have also signed seven agreements for boosting bilateral cooperation in several areas.
Modi said that South Korea can be a privileged partner in Make in India initiative. Prime Minister said that the two countries will deepen cooperation in defence technology and manufacture of defence equipment. He further said other areas where South Korean investment has been invited include ship building including LNG tankers.
India has offered to establish a separate channel named Korea Plus to facilitate South Korean investment and operations in India.
A South Korea-India joint working group in the field of electronics hardware manufacturing and another group for facilitating cooperation in the ship building sector are also on the anvil. To promote people to people contact, a festival of India in South Korea will be organised later this year and a festival of South Korea in India next year.
The two countries have also agreed to amend the bilateral air services agreement to increase flight connectivity and covering more cities.
South Korea has expressed its support for India’s early membership of the four export control regimes namely the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Australia Group and WASSENAAR arrangement. This was announced in a joint statement after the delegation level talks between the two countries in Seoul Monday .
The two countries have also agreed to work towards UN security council reform to reflect contemporary realities and include major developing countries.
The two countries also reiterated their commitment to the eradication of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and called upon the international community to work closely to address this challenge and an early conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.