Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Minister Suh anticipates “cooperation with India in the defense and armed industry area as well as PKO Ministers’ Meeting”
He also asked India to share know-how and cooperate as a major nation dispatched for PKO

On December 28, Minister of National Defense Suh Wook emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and India in the defense and military industry area during a meeting with Indian Army chief of staff Manoj Mukund Naravane, who was visiting the ROK.

Suh evaluated that “The ROK and India are closely cooperating with each other in all areas, including politics, economy, society, and culture, based on a ‘special strategic partnership’ that stresses the importance of cooperation with India in the defense and armed industry area, as India is a key partner in the ‘New Southern Policy’ that the ROK government is committed to. After explaining a plan for a ‘UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) Ministers’ Meeting’ slated to be held next year, he asked India to share its know-how and cooperate as a major nation dispatched for PKO. “To do this, I hope that Chief Naravane and Indian Defense Minister will take part in the PKO Ministers’ Meeting,” he added.

Suh and Naravane agreed that international efforts should be made in cooperation with the international community to respond to non-traditional security threats, such as the crisis of infectious diseases including COVID-19, cybersecurity threats, and natural disasters, and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

“Taking this visit as an opportunity, our country will push ahead with normal defense ministry-level and military-level defense exchange cooperation between the two countries, which has been delayed so far,” Naravane said, highly appreciating the ROK government’s capability to react to the crisis of COVID-19.

By Su-Yeol, Maeng <guns13@dema.mil.kr >

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