EAM Jaishankar’s Bilateral Visits to South Korea and Japan Set for March 5-8

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will make bilateral trips to the Republic of Korea and Japan from March 5–8, and he and his Korean counterpart, Cho-Tae Yul, will co-chair the 10th India–Republic of Korea Joint Commission Meeting (JCM). The MEA released a statement stating that the EAM will first travel to Seoul, South Korea, on March 5–6, where they will co-chair the JCM meeting and discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.

“India – Republic of Korea Special Strategic Partnership has expanded to diverse areas of cooperation, which include trade, investments, defence, education, S&T, and 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 said.

Afterwards, on March 6–8, EAM will travel to Japan for the 16th Strategic Dialogue between the foreign ministers of Japan and India, hosted by Yoko Kamikawa. According to the ministry, the two Ministers will talk about matters of bilateral, regional, and international significance as well as share ideas on how to work together for a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, EAM will take part in Tokyo’s inaugural Raisina Roundtable. An important first step in improving track 2 exchanges between Japan and India is the Roundtable. He is anticipated to engage with academic institutions, think tanks, and business executives, fostering deep interpersonal and cultural relationships.

“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. EAM’s visit and meetings in Tokyo will provide strategic guidance to our functional cooperation in these areas,” the statement read.

“EAM’s visits to the Republic of Korea and Japan, two of our major partners, will impart further momentum to bilateral exchanges and set the agenda for future cooperation,” it added.