Visit of Sejong Institute Delegation, South Korea, to the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), New Delhi, on 18 Dec 2017

Welcome Remarks by Dr Arvind Gupta, Director VIF

Mr. Chang Soo-jin, President of the Sejong Institute, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Namaskar and Good Afternoon,

I would like to extend our heartiest welcome to the esteemed delegation from the Sejong Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Thank you for visiting us at the VIF.

Your visit will strengthen the think tank level contacts between our two countries and enhance mutual understanding. This is so very necessary today at a time when the world is facing considerable political, economic and security uncertainty.

What is worrying is that there are no easy answers to the myriads of crises that have erupted from the Middle East to the Korean peninsula. The limitation of diplomacy to resolve such crises is becoming apparent. As states struggle to come to the grips with these crises, terrorism, climate change, maritime and cyber security issues threaten to get out of control and complicate the situation.

All this is happening at a time when global economic situation is still uncertain. The Chinese economy, which is an engine of global economic growth is facing headwinds and needs restructuring which is bound to be painful internally as well as for countries closely tied up with Chinese economy. The US, following the ‘America First’ policy, seems to be in a mood to reduce its global footprint. American allies are not sure about US commitments. It seems that the room which is being vacated by the US is being filled by China.

The current crisis in the Korean peninsula, caused by the continuous and wreck less testing of the nuclear weapons and missiles by the North Korean regime in the recent years has made the global security situation worse. The role of US, China, Japan, Russia and regional powers has come into sharp focus. The six party forum is defunct.

India is affected by the actions of the North Korean regime. The North Korean regime has in the past supplied missile technology to Pakistan and also received help from the latter it in the development of its nuclear weapons.

As far as India is concerned, it is located in a volatile neighborhood. India has been a victim of state sponsored, cross-border terrorism for a long time. One of its neighbors openly supports terrorism in the shadow of nuclear deterrence. The security situation in Afghanistan remains worrisome. The situation there cannot improve until the Taliban continue to have sanctuaries and safe haven in neighboring Pakistan. The international community seems to look the other way when it comes to dealing with the source of the problem, which is Pakistan’s support to the Haqqani group of Taliban.

The numerous conflicts in the Middle East have triggered a new wave of fundamentalism. The rise of Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS) is one such phenomenon. The ISIS may have been weakened but it has left behind an ideology which can potentially inspire Islamist radicals all over the world. The growing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia can give rise to newer conflicts the region. The war in Yemen, though not in global headlines, is a reflection of the growing rivalry between the two countries. The sectarian conflict in the region can widen. This will seriously jeopardize regional stability. India has a large number of its people working in the region, almost 60 percent of its energy imports are from this region. The tensions in the region can affect global oil supplies although the dynamic of energy has changed considerably with the arrival of US shale oil on the markets.

China’s rise has transformed the security scenario in our neighborhood. The recent 73-day long border incident in Dokalam was resolved peacefully through diplomacy but it has left behind apprehensions about the future behavior of a country which is aspiring to become a global power. Why was it building roads in the disputed territory in Bhutan near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction? The 19th Party Congress has seen the rise of President Xi Jinping as China’s strongest nationalist leader since Mao. What does this mean for China’s neighbors? China’s assertiveness in South China Sea and its growing footprint in the Indian Ocean has raised questions about China’s intentions and behavior.

China has come up with ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). From the Indian Point of view this is problematic because China Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through Indian Territory under Pakistan occupation. BRI is unilateral and opaque. This has been conceived without consultation with other countries. As the example of the construction of Humbantota Port in Sri Lanka shows, Chinese project can pull unsuspecting countries into debt trap. BRI is also an attempt to export China’s surplus capacity to other countries. Indeed, connectivity is important; India and South Korea could discuss how the two countries can cooperate with each other in improving connectivity in the region in consultation with other countries.

The rise of the notion of Indo-pacific is a response to the shift in geo-political trend in Asia Pacific region. Indian Ocean is major route for global trade including energy trade. Freedom of navigation on the high seas as well as adherence to the UN Convention of the Law of the Seas is an important pillar of India’s Maritime Policy. India has a central location in the Indian Ocean. The Indian and the Pacific Oceans are also getting linked up with each other as the center of gravity of the global economy shift to the east.

It is matter of satisfaction that India’s relations with South Korea have been strengthened since 2006. Our relations are characterized as special strategic partnership. High level visits between the two countries have intensified. PM Modi met President Moon Jae-in on the margins of G-20 summit in Hamburg earlier this year. This has given a fresh impetus to bilateral relations. The Korean investments in India and Indian investments in Korea have increased. Although India and South Korea have an ongoing Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, there is still a lot of potential in the commercial and economic domain. Bilateral trade is below par and in the recent years has come down from the highs of $20 billion or so reached a few years ago. The target of $40 billion announced a few years had to be abandoned. The good part is that trade is once again going up. The two countries have initiated discussions on the upgrading the CEPA. India and South Korea can explore fresh avenues of cooperation in the context of India’s Act-East Policy and South Korea’s Southern Policy.

It is heartening that in the recent years people to people contacts are on the rise. The connectivity between put two countries has improved. India is now permitted visa on arrival to the Koreans. Academic and cultural contacts between the two countries have increased.

There is potential for deeper cooperation between the two countries on security related issues, particularly terrorism, cyber security and maritime security. On the security front the “2 plus 2” dialogue mechanism has been instituted. We should make use of this forum for deepening our security dialogue.

We welcome your visit to India. We need to have more intense and sustained dialogue on global, regional and bilateral issues. We look forward to a session of productive discussions today afternoon.

Thank you and Jai Hind.