Korea-India Strategic Dialogue discusses ways to boost post-pandemic bilateral ties

Ahn Choong-yong, left, co-chair of the Korea-India Strategic Dialogue and distinguished professor at Chung-Ang University, speaks during a forum at The Plaza Seoul, Thursday. The forum was held in a hybrid format, with participants from India attending online. Courtesy of Seoul Forum for International Affairs

By Kang Seung-woo

With preparations for a “post-pandemic” world underway, scholars and experts from Korea and India have suggested that the two countries beef up bilateral cooperation in the areas of vaccine development, digital technology and defense as well as economy and trade.

The 20th Korea-India Strategic Dialogue, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation (KF), Seoul Forum for International Affairs (SFIA) and India's Ananta Aspen Centre (AAC), was held Thursday under the theme, “Exploring New Opportunities for Strategic Partnership post COVID-19.” The event was held in a hybrid online-offline format, with the attendance of the Korean and Indian ambassadors to each other's countries.

The strategic dialogue has represented track 1.5 diplomacy involving cooperation between official and unofficial players in Korea and India over the last 20 years, allowing both governments to map out different modes of bilateral cooperation.

“With a looming exit strategy from the pandemic, the two countries now face daunting challenges to respond effectively to newly emerging geopolitical security architecture and trade and investment opportunities in the Asia-Pacific,” said Ahn Choong-yong, the forum's co-chair and a distinguished professor at Chung-Ang University, in his opening speech.

Kiran Pasricha, CEO of AAC, said in her opening remarks, “The pandemic isn't yet behind us. So, I'm sorry we are doing this virtually, while I'm still extremely delighted to see such an outstanding delegation from both sides.”

Naushad Forbes, the other co-chair of the strategic dialogue, said there were huge opportunities in trade and investments between the two countries.

“We have the best and closest of relations between our two countries, but I think we would all regard trade and investment as being less than what it could be.” He added that both countries should think about how to enhance investments and how to enhance trade opportunities between the two sides.

Former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo commented: “Northeast Asia, China, Japan, and Korea have co-existed as close neighbors over many centuries, However, India was considered a great country in world history situated in a faraway region.

“Our two people are now bound together as prominent citizens of the global village and share many new values and aspiration ― in short, partners for a common interest.”

Ahn said India and Korea share the common objective of supply chain resilience by reducing their excessive dependence on China.

“To achieve this objective, I would like to suggest India and Korea urgently establish a bilateral Resilient Supply Chain Pact, which is similar to the proposal recently mooted jointly by India, Australia and Japan,” he said.

He also said if Korea and India work together utilizing each other's strengths to scale up vaccine production, the two countries can contribute to the global vaccination agenda.

Yoon Young-kwan, a former foreign minister, said the two countries will benefit much from strengthening mutual cooperation amid the rising rivalry between the United States and China.

“Both Korea and India are democracies, adjacent to China, and have deep economic relations with China,” Yoon said.

He noted that Korea has experienced China using its economic power as a weapon to pressure Seoul on the issue of security policy, while India is also facing the challenge of Beijing flexing its naval power in the Indian Ocean in addition to border conflicts.

“By strengthening mutual ties, both Korea and India will be able to strengthen their strategic positions in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.