Jaishankar To Push Initiatives To Boost Regional, Bilateral Ties With Korea And Japan During 4-Day Visit

Jaishankar is set to embark on bilateral visits to South Korea and Japan from March 5 to March 8.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to embark on bilateral visits to South Korea and Japan from March 5 to March 8. According to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will first visit Seoul from March 5–6, 2024, to co-chair the 10th India–South Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) with H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the South Korea Cho Tae-yul.

During the visit, the EAM is also expected to meet with Korean dignitaries, heads of think tanks, and the Indian community, the statement said.

The India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership has expanded to diverse areas of cooperation, which include trade, investments, defence, education, S&T, culture. The JCM is expected to comprehensively review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and explore avenues for further strengthening it. It will also provide an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, the statement further read.

After the Korea visit, Jaishankar will travel to Japan from March 6–8 for the 16th India-Japan Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue with the Foreign Minister of Japan, H.E. Ms. Yoko Kamikawa. The two leaders are likely to hold discussions on key issues of bilateral, regional, and global importance. They are also expected to exchange views on cooperation for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

According to the statement, the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership has further deepened in the last decade in areas such as defence and digital technologies, semiconductor supply chains, clean energy, high-speed rail, industrial competitiveness, and connectivity. Jaishankar's meetings in Tokyo during the Japan visit will provide strategic guidance to India's functional cooperation in these areas. The EAM will also take part in the first Raisina Roundtable in Tokyo. The Roundtable is a key step towards enhancing track 2 exchanges between India and Japan, the release stated.

Jaishankar is expected to interact with business leaders, think tanks, and academia, building upon strong cultural and people-to people ties. EAM's visits to Korea and Japan will provide momentum to bilateral exchanges and set the agenda for future cooperation, according to the release.