Jaishankar and Cho Hyun hold talks in Seoul
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for a two-day high-level visit, meeting his counterpart Foreign Minister Cho Hyun in Seoul. The discussions focused on expanding the bilateral partnership across multiple sectors, building on the outcomes of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung's visit to India in April.
In a post on X, Jaishankar stated: "Pleased to meet @FMChoHyun of RoK in Seoul today. Our discussions followed upon the outcomes of recent visit of President @Jaemyung_Lee to India. We reviewed our cooperation across political, shipbuilding, trade, investments, defence, technology, clean energy, culture and P2P domains. As well as opportunities in startups, fintech and multilateral fora. Also exchanged views on development in our respective regions and around the world."
Key areas of cooperation reviewed
During the meeting, both leaders assessed progress in political ties, shipbuilding, trade and investments, defence collaboration, technology transfer, clean energy initiatives, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people connections. They also explored new opportunities in startups, fintech, and multilateral platforms.
The talks followed the Joint Strategic Vision agreed upon during President Lee's April visit to India, which aims to implement and expand the India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership over the next five years (2026-2030). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lee had also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, where they discussed deepening ties in trade, commerce, and futuristic sectors.
Jaishankar's broader diplomatic tour
Prior to his South Korea visit, Jaishankar was in Mongolia on Monday, reaffirming the strategic and spiritual ties between the two nations. His four-day diplomatic tour covers Mongolia and South Korea, aiming to inject new momentum into relationships that have evolved into a "strategic partnership of spiritual neighbours."
In Ulaanbaatar, Jaishankar met Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa and conveyed official greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reflecting on President Ukhnaa's visit to India last year, Jaishankar noted a shared vision for the partnership, stating: "Value his guidance on advancing our strong cooperation in a wide range of sectors. Fully agree with him that the greatest friendship is spiritual friendship."
