By Lee Jon-young

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is in New Delhi for the G20 Summit, held a summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 10.
 

The two leaders agreed to strengthen strategic communication and cooperation between the two countries as key partners in the Indo-Pacific region as they celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

The President appreciated India's role as G20 Chair and expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for taking time out of his busy chairmanship to consider bilateral relations.

The two leaders agreed to continue to work together to ensure the smooth progress of the second batch of K-9 self-propelled howitzers (Indian name "Bajirah"), a symbol of defense cooperation between the two countries, and to advance cooperation in the defense and defense-related fields.

The two leaders acknowledged that Korean and Indian companies have been working together to build stable supply chains in India by continuing to expand their investments in high-tech manufacturing industries such as electric vehicles, and decided to further expand supply chain cooperation in new industries such as IT and electronics.

The two leaders recognized that the opening of the Electronic Exchange System for Certificates of Origin (EODES) between the two customs authorities this year will improve customs clearance convenience for businesses in both countries and contribute to the promotion of bilateral trade and investment. The two leaders also agreed to make progress in negotiations to improve the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries.

The President requested Prime Minister Modi's special attention to creating a favorable customs environment and easing import restrictions so that Korean companies can continue to expand their investments in India.

The two leaders agreed to work together to expand the participation of Korean companies in high-value infrastructure projects in India through the signing of a $4 billion EDCF Framework Agreement (2023-26) between the two countries.

The two leaders agreed that cooperation in core technologies between value-sharing countries is becoming increasingly important, and decided to strengthen space cooperation based on the excellent space development capabilities of the two countries, including the successful launch of Nuri in May and the successful landing of India's lunar probe Chandrayaan-3 at the South Pole of the Moon in August.

The two leaders also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, as well as cooperation in the international arena. The two leaders agreed that Korea and India, which have similar positions on various issues, are building a solid framework of cooperation based on solidarity and universal values such as freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and decided to make joint contributions to peace, stability, and rule-based order in the region in harmony with the Korean government's Indo-Pacific Strategy and India's vision for Indo-Pacific.

The two leaders agreed that North Korea's unprecedented provocations pose a serious threat to peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula, but also in the region and the international community as a whole, and require a united and decisive response from the international community. The two leaders also agreed to explore areas of bilateral cooperation in the field of cybersecurity.