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| Scholars and experts from Korea and India join the 19th Korea-India Strategic Dialogue webinar, with participants from Korea attending in person at The Plaza Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Korea Foundation |
By Park Han-sol
Amid the frictional geopolitical landscape and global uncertainties posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, scholars and experts from Korea and India have come together to examine channels of bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, healthcare and defense.
The 19th 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 virtually with Korean representatives joining in person at The Plaza Seoul, Wednesday.
Under the theme of "Crafting New Korea-India Strategic Partnership amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Co-Navigation and Emerging Opportunities," participants explored measures for Korea-India cooperation through joint vaccine development for COVID-19, Indo-Pacific economic strategy and maritime defense.
"Through this dialogue, I hope we are able to contribute to enhancing a truly strategic partnership between two like-minded countries, India and Korea," said Ahn Choong-yong, forum's co-chair and distinguished professor at Chung-Ang University.
"Although there are concerns that the spread of the virus might reverse globalization and weaken international bonds, I firmly believe that the pandemic has in fact proved our interdependence," KF President Lee Geun said from the organization's headquarter in Jeju Island. "When we narrow our focus to the Korea-India relationship, I believe this is especially apparent."
In the era of the unprecedented pandemic, the participants highlighted the importance of joint vaccine development and clinical evaluations by combining Korea's strength in R&D and India's pharmaceutical manufacturing abilities.
In addition to the healthcare sector, Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan suggested multiple potential areas of bilateral partnership, including technology and big data, green economy, infrastructure and defense.
Against the backdrop of the escalating U.S.-China conflict and the India-China border clash, the true synergy between President Moon Jae-in's New Southern Policy and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy also came to the forefront of the discussion as a way to open up new diplomatic and economic horizons for the two nations.
In the changing geo-economic trade dynamics, Ahn pointed out the significance of the early effectuation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and argued that Korea's expanded outbound foreign direct investment to India must be realized.
Korean Ambassador to India Shin Bong-kil stated that when the pandemic subsides, future strategic cooperation between the two countries will be resumed in diverse channels, including high-level bilateral visits, institutional dialogue at ministerial level and cultural exchanges.
With the upcoming U.S. presidential election that will inevitably serve as one of the key variables in the global diplomacy, AAC chariman Naushad Forbes emphasized the importance of the concrete and feasible promotion of Korea-India relations.
