India, South Korea hold 6th dialogue to boost strategic partnership

India and the Republic of Korea held the 6th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue in Seoul, reviewing their bilateral ties. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership, discussing security, defence, and trade.

India, RoK hold 6th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue

India and the Republic of Korea (RoK) reviewed the full spectrum of their bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership during the 6th India-RoK Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD).

In an X post, the Indian Embassy of South Korea said, "Secretary (East) P. Kumaran co-chaired 6th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD) with Park Yoon-joo and reviewed the whole gamut of the bilateral relations including sharing the views on high-level exchanges, economic and commercial issues, security, defence, S&T, Cultural and People to People ties." It added, "They also shared their perspectives on the issues of regional and global significance and agreed to work to further enhance the Special Strategic Partnership." https://x.com/IndiainROK/status/2022284059704279307

Secretary (East) P Kumaran co-chaired the dialogue with Park Yoon-joo, First Vice Foreign Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, during his official visit to Seoul from February 12 to 13, 2026. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the two sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral ties, including high-level exchanges, economic and commercial issues, security, defence, S&T, Cultural and people-to-people ties. Both sides also exchanged perspectives on regional and global issues, reflecting the growing strategic convergence between the two countries in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Recap of 5th FPSD and Future Goals

Earlier on January 17, 2023, Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, paid an official visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) from January 16-17, 2023 to co-chair the 5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD) with his ROK counterpart Cho Hyundong, First Vice Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea, on January 16, 2023, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

During the FPSD, both sides agreed to enhance India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership by strengthening strategic communication through regular high-level engagements, including the Foreign Minister-level Joint Commission Meeting, '2+2' dialogue involving Foreign Ministry and Defence Ministry at Vice Minister/Secretary level, other ministerial and senior official dialogues, as the two countries celebrate 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this year. Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, security and defence, science and technology, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, according to the statement.

Boosting Trade and Investment

The Secretary (East) informed the Korean side of the investment opportunities India offers to Korean companies in manufacturing, infrastructure, and other sectors. The two sides agreed to work to make global supply chains more resilient and robust.

They also noted that bilateral trade was at an all-time high of approximately USD 28 billion. and agreed to take concrete steps to realise the vision of reaching USD 50 billion by 2030. Both sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation in new and emerging technologies, the statement said.

Regional Cooperation and G20

FPSD provided an opportunity to share perspectives on regional and global issues, including developments on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific. The two sides noted that the ROK's recently announced Indo-Pacific Strategy provides an opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation, including expanding it to new areas. They also discussed cooperation in multilateral fora.

Secretary (East) briefed the ROK side about the priorities of India during its Presidency of G20. The latter appreciated India's efforts and assured it of full support for the G20's success. (ANI)

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