India urges S. Korean support on terrorism
The Indian government urged South Korean support in the fight against terrorism Monday.
Calling South Korea to take a firm stand against terrorism and support India's position at multilateral forums such as the United Nations Security Council and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation underlined strategic importance of India-South Korea ties and appealed to deepen cooperation with India on regional security and global peace initiatives.
The delegation was in Seoul from May 24-26.
'We need countries like Korea to stand with us. Our request (to Pakistan) is simple —leave us alone and let us progress. We want to fight poverty, create employment, and we look forward to global collaboration, especially from strategic partners like South Korea,' urged John Brittas, member of parliament from Kerala (Rajya Sabha) told reporters when asked about the purpose of visiting South Korea.
'India is a responsible country. We want the world to recognize this responsibility we bring to international politics,' he said, explaining that for the first time India has sent parliamentary delegations to 33 countries to promote peace and rally global support against terrorism.
Brittas sees terrorism as a shared international threat, not just India's problem.
The delegation leader, Sanjay Kumar Jha confirmed they met South Korea's foreign minister, think tanks, and officials, and the Korean side has shown support, responding to a question from The Korea Herald.
'We shared our position, our concerns, documents, and even visual evidence. The Korean side appreciated India's restraint and its right to defend its citizens," said Jha.
According to Jha, the Korean side expressed concern over nuclear threats but assured India of their moral and diplomatic support.
'We specifically requested South Korea's support in the Security Council. The response was very positive,' Jha told reporters.
According to the press release of the Indian Embassy in Seoul, the visiting Indian delegation held high-level meetings with Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong-kyun, Rep. Yun Ho-jung, Chairperson of the Korea-India Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Korean National Assembly, and Rep. Sung Il-jong, chairman of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee.
The release noted that Cho, referring to his recent phone conversation with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, reiterated South Korea's firm stance against terrorism and expressed strong support for India's counter-terrorism efforts.
Kim was quoted in the release as saying that they strongly condemned the recent attack and expressed their understanding of India's position, citing India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership as the foundation for joint efforts with the international community to combat terrorism.
Rep. Yoon reaffirmed Korea's unwavering position against terrorism, stating that no terrorist act can ever be justified or tolerated, the embassy said.
Rep. Sung, according to the embassy, also welcomed the briefing of the delegation, applauding India's restrained and measured response. He emphasized that any form of terrorism was a crime against humanity and could never be condoned.
'South Korea is a major power. You are a big investor in India. We have a solid relationship with South Korea,' the delegation told reporters.
'We want a multipolar Asia in which South Korea is a pole. You are now a member of the security council, and we expect you to assume greater responsibility in the security architecture of the region,' they said.
Abhishek Banerjee, a member of parliament from the Trinamool Congress, pointed to a moral imperative for global unity against terrorism.
'We want our strategic partners to stand high on moral grounds. We expect unconditional and full support in the Security Council," said Banerjee.
"South Korea is one of India's most trusted friends, and we are confident this bond will only strengthen,' he said.
Meanwhile, Salman Khurshid, India's former foreign minister, discussed past engagements with Pakistan in an interaction with reporters.
'We've been talking for 50 years. There's never been an admission from Pakistan. Meanwhile, they've targeted our civilians. Our military responded by only hitting terrorist bases. When they (Pakistan) called for a ceasefire, it indicated who was hurting more,' Khurshid told reporters.
Khurshid also drew parallels with South Korea's own security concerns.
'We understand your experience living next to North Korea. That makes you more sensitive and concerned,' Khurshid told The Korea Herald.
'You (South Koreans) wouldn't want the same instability to spread elsewhere,' he added.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
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