AYODHYA KOREA RELATIONSHIP
Speech by President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam at the Banquet hosted by President of Repulbic of Korea, Mr. Roh Moo-Hyun, February 7, 2006, Seoul
Your Excellency Mr. Roh-hyun, President of the Republic of Korea,
Madame Kwon Yang-suk,
Excellencies and Friends,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
I greatly appreciate your warm welcome and your kind words. I am happy to be in Korea. The visit has been a regarding experience with excellent arrangement and generous hospitality extended to me and my delegation. Despite the cold weather outside, the warm sentiments of the people of Korea that we have felt has made our stay comfortable and memorable.
Excellency, the chronicle of friendly contacts between India and Korea, two old civilizations of Asia, date back to ancient times. Our interactions begin with the arrival of the princess of Ayodhya to Korea in the first century AD and move through the spread of Buddhism in the early centuries and later trade and cultural relations through the “Silk Route”. With such an impressive historical dimension, it is only benefiting that our relations have steadily developed in recent years, based on the secure foundations of shared values of democracy and open society and the common desire to develop and diversify our mutually beneficial exchanges.
Both our countries have faced stupendous challenges in the past and both, against foreign rule, have emerged resurgent and confident. We are vibrant democracies with a free press and active civil societies. We both believe in the values of freedom, dignity and respect for the individual. While India and Korea are going through historic transformations, our Governments have kept in view the people’s aspiration for peace, reconciliation and prosperity. These shared experiences and objectives have helped us to understand each other’s concerns and aspirations, paving the for broad-based cooperation.
Excellency, as I stand here, I warmly recall your landmark visit to India in October 2004, which marked an important milestone in India-Korea relations. It was during that visit that we agreed to forge a “Long-term Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity”, which signaled our commitment to look at our relationship beyond its bilateral dimensions and in a long-term and strategic perspective. We recognize today that India-Korea relations have an important bearing on the peace, stability and development of our region and the Asian continent. With the irreversible trend of regional integration in Asia, we increasingly look at Korea as a key element in our “Look East” policy and a trusted partner in our vision for a dynamic and vibrant Pant-Asian Community of peace and prosperity. We appreciate your active efforts to secure peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.
We are encouraged by the current momentum in our relations with growing exchanges and cooperative ties in a wide range of areas. We are working together to expand and enrich the political and economic content of our relationship. It is our shred endeavour to foster closer people-to-people contacts and strengthen our exchanges in the cultural and scientific fields. As a result of our joint efforts, our bilateral trade volume has more than trebled in the last four years and I remain confident that this trend would further accelerate in the future. Korean companies have shown a perceptive understanding of the Indian market and have emerged as among the most profitable and fastest growing companies in
India. On its part, the Indian Government is earnestly endeavoring to make
India an attractive investment destination by creating an investor-friendly environment. We have, together, taken several measures to provide and institutional framework to facilitate a deeper engagement between our two countries. We are happy that the Joint Study Group, appointed following your visit to
India, has come up with a set of practical and far-reaching recommendations. We are now going to launch negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Indiaattaches high priority to the successful conclusion of these negotiations, which we believe,
would provide added momentum and a robust foundation for our growing economic partnership. I would also like to recall the launching of Korean satellites by Indian Space launch vehicles which should further enhance space cooperation between the two countries. The
Republic of
Korea has launched dynamic industrial enterprises in electronics and automobiles in
India. And the steel industry will soon follow.
Excellency, it is heartening that since your visit to India a little over year ago and in keeping with our shared vision of the future of our relationship, exchanges between India and Korea have become more multifaceted and acquired greater substances and maturity. We have developed mechanisms for regular, constructive dialogue and interaction an global and regional issues of mutual interest. While expanding our interaction in the existing areas, we are also constantly exploring newer avenues of cooperation, such as energy security, knowledge-based economy and cutting-edge technologies. I am sure that with our common commitment to raise the level of our partnership, we would not spare any effort to take full advantage of the vast economic complementarities and the remarkable convergence of values and interests between our two counties.
Excellencies and Friends, with this happy though, may I now invite you to join me in a toast:
To the personal good health and happiness of Your Excellency President Roh Moo-hyun and Madame Kwon Yang-suk;
To the well being of our tow friendly peoples; and
To closer friendship and further strengthening of the multi-dimensional future-oriented and cooperative partnership between
India and
Korea.
