External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on June 25 urged India and South Korea to deepen strategic and economic cooperation, saying the two democracies possess complementary strengths “from ships to chips” that can help build a more resilient global order amid rising geopolitical fragmentation. Delivering the keynote address at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026 during a two-day visit to South Korea, he said the international community must acknowledge fragmentation as a new reality while inventing fresh forms of cooperation.
Jaishankar told the forum that fragmentation “is here to stay” and, in some respects, has produced “less dominance, more space and greater democratisation.” He argued that economic integration continues despite tensions, with supply chains, technology and data increasingly interlinked, and warned that artificial intelligence will further deepen cross-border ties because “the capture of data and the deployment of models is inherently transnational.”
He said global challenges such as pandemics, terrorism and extreme climate events cannot be solved by single nations and invoked India’s civilisational ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “the world is a family” — to underline the need for collective action. At the same time, Jaishankar cautioned against the “weaponisation of everything,” noting that strategic calculations are beginning to shape commercial decisions and that restrictions on market access are curbing industrial growth in developing countries.
“The right to industrialise… is being denied to many developing states by the manipulation of competitiveness and by restrictions of market access,” he said, describing this as another form of dominance. He also warned of “higher risk-taking” in global politics and a social media–driven environment where “the interests of a few are openly prioritised” over broader public good.
To respond, Jaishankar outlined five priorities: de-risk the global economy through diversified supply chains; strengthen cooperation among influential nations; safeguard international law and institutions such as UNCLOS; expand opportunities for the Global South; and pursue reformed multilateralism. Linking these priorities to bilateral ties, he said they present “a powerful case” for closer India–South Korea collaboration across sectors including health, infrastructure and defence. Referring to meetings in Seoul the previous day, he said talks had focused on expanding economic and technology partnerships, enhancing political and strategic cooperation, and strengthening people-to-people links.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/international/story/india-south-korea-have-complementarities-from-ships-to-chips-jaishankar-calls-for-deeper-partnership-1413831-2026-06-25?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-06-25 10:30:00
