India, S Korea pledge to deepen defence ties
19 May 2015 5:58 AM IST
India and South Korea have agreed to upgrade their ties to ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ and deepen cooperation in <g data-gr-id="39">defence</g> sector as the two sides inked seven agreements. Modi also met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon here and discussed key global issues with him.
"We intend to deepen our cooperation in defence technology and manufacture of defence equipment in India. This sector offers huge opportunities in India," he said.
The Prime Minister also met Ban. "Discussed key global issues during the wonderful meeting with @UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon," Modi tweeted. <g data-gr-id="34">Ban</g> is a South Korean national. He is set to retire in 2016 after two terms.
Modi, who arrived here earlier in the day on the last leg of his three-nation tour, was accorded an official welcome at the Grand Garden. He also laid <g data-gr-id="41">wreath</g> at the Seoul National Cemetery and paid tribute to soldiers who died during the 1950-53 Korean War. He also addressed a community reception where about 1,500 members of the Indian community were present. He also held talks with South Korean President Park Geun-<g data-gr-id="40">hye</g>.
He held wide-ranging talks with South Korean President Park Geun-<g data-gr-id="38">hye</g> at Cheong Wae Dae, the office and residence of the President. "We have agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to 'Special Strategic Partnership'," Modi said at a joint press interaction with President Park after their “excellent” talks.
“We have laid the foundation for a relationship that two major Asian countries with shared values should have,” he said. Modi added that South Korea is the second country (after Japan) with which India will have a diplomatic and security dialogue in 2+2 format, referring to a bilateral dialogue process involving the foreign and defence ministers of the two sides. Modi said the two nations have agreed to expand cooperation between their armed forces.
Modi takes another jibe at UPA; says it’s time to ‘Act East’
PM Narendra Modi on Monday took another jibe at previous governments which practised ‘Look East’ policy, saying that India has had enough of it and its time to ‘Act East’. “Earlier, it was ‘Look East Policy’. We have had enough of looking east. We now have ‘Act East Policy’ – a key component of my government's foreign policy,” Modi said at the Kyung Hee University in the South Korean capital.
Modi’s reference to ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ drew loud cheers from the assembled Indians. ‘Look East’ policy was first coined by the Narasimha Rao government in the 1990s and has been followed by the successive governments. Modi also referred to economic experts saying that in the five-member BRICS grouping India was struggling but since last year (after his government came to power) things have changed. "Since the last one year, the world is now saying that I (India) is an important segment of BRICS and the grouping can not be imagined without I (India)," said Modi.
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