Your Excellency President Lee,
Distinguished delegates from both countries,
Friends from the media,
Namaskar!
It gives me great pleasure to welcome President Lee on his first visit to India. His life stands as an inspiring example of resilience, service, and dedication. Each challenge he has faced has further strengthened his resolve to serve the people. Although this is his first visit to India, his warmth and affinity for the country has been evident since our very first meeting.
Friends,
This visit of the President of Korea to India, after a gap of eight years, is of great significance. Democratic values, a market economy, and respect for the rule of law are deeply embedded in the DNA of both our nations. We also share a common outlook on the Indo-Pacific region. On the basis of these shared principles, our relationship has become more dynamic and wide-ranging over the past decade.
And today, with President Lee’s visit, we are set to transform this trusted partnership into a futuristic partnership. From chips to ships, from talent to technology, and from environment to energy, we will realize new opportunities for cooperation across all sectors. Together, we will ensure the progress and prosperity of both our nations.
Friends,
Bilateral trade between India and Korea has today reached twenty-seven billion dollars. We have taken several important decisions today to take this to fifty billion dollars by 2030.
To facilitate financial flows between the two countries, we have launched the India-Korea Financial Forum. To strengthen business cooperation, we have established an Industrial Cooperation Committee. To enhance collaboration in critical technologies and supply chains, we are initiating an Economic Security Dialogue.
To facilitate the entry of Korean companies, especially SMEs, into India, we will also establish a Korean Industrial Township. Furthermore, within the next year, we will upgrade the India-Korea Trade Agreement.
Friends,
Today, we are laying the foundation for the success stories of the next decade. To further deepen our partnership in AI, semiconductors, and information technology, we are launching the India-Korea Digital Bridge. We are also signing MoUs in sectors such as shipbuilding, sustainability, steel, and ports.
Through mutual cooperation in culture and the creative industries, we will also set new milestones in film, animation, and gaming. Today’s Business Forum will serve as a platform to translate these opportunities into tangible outcomes.
Friends,
India and Korea share cultural ties that go back thousands of years. The story of Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya and King Kim Suro of Korea, dating back two millennia, is a part of our shared heritage.
Today, K-pop and K-dramas are becoming highly popular in India. Similarly, the recognition of Indian cinema and culture is growing in Korea as well. We are delighted that President Lee himself is an admirer of Indian cinema. To further strengthen this cultural connect, we will organize the India-Korea Friendship Festival in 2028.
At the same time, to further strengthen people-to-people ties, we will also promote cooperation in education, research, and tourism.
Friends,
In this period of global tensions, India and Korea together convey a message of peace and stability. We are pleased that today Korea is joining the International Solar Alliance and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. Through our shared efforts, we will continue to contribute to a peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
We also agree that reforms in global institutions are necessary to address contemporary global challenges.
Your Excellency,
Nearly a hundred years ago, India’s great poet, Rabindranath Tagore, referred to Korea as the "Lamp of the East.” Today, as we work towards realizing our vision of a developed India by 2047, Korea stands as an important partner in this journey.
Let us, through our partnership, pave the way for the progress and prosperity not only of our two nations, but of the entire world.
Thank you very much.
