India, South Korea strong, progressive democracies, says Rajya Sabha Dy Chairman Harivansh

During the meeting, Harivansh said India and the Republic of Korea or South Korea are strong and progressive democracies and share a robust tradition of parliamentary exchanges.

A Parliamentary delegation from the Republic of Korea, led by its National Assembly's Deputy Speaker Lee Hack-Young, called on Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh in the Parliament House on Friday. During the meeting, Harivansh said India and the Republic of Korea (or South Korea) are strong and progressive democracies and share a robust tradition of parliamentary exchanges. He observed that regular dialogue and interaction between the two Parliaments have contributed significantly to strengthening the India–Korea special strategic partnership. Highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of bilateral cooperation, Harivansh said the two countries share a close partnership in trade and investment, defence, culture and people-to-people relations, based on their shared commitment to democracy, rule of law, global peace and prosperity. Referring to the historical and cultural linkages between the two countries, Harivansh noted that India and the Republic of Korea are connected through the matrimonial alliance between Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya and King Kim Suro of Gimhae, which reflects the deep-rooted civilisational ties between the two nations. He further observed that it is a matter of pride that in 2011, the South Korean government installed a statue of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in Seoul to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary. Harivansh recalled that Gurudev Tagore had written the poem 'Lamp of the East' in 1929, paying tribute to Korea's glorious past and its promising future, which continues to be fondly remembered by the Korean people. The deputy chairman expressed satisfaction over the steady growth in bilateral trade and investment flows and noted that bilateral trade has reached approximately USD 27 billion. Referring to the presence of Korean companies in India, he observed that Hyundai, Samsung and LG have become household names in the country. Highlighting the role of Parliamentarians in translating shared vision into concrete action, Harivansh assured the visiting delegation of his full support in strengthening parliamentary cooperation. He expressed confidence that sustained dialogue and exchanges would help realise the full potential of India and South Korea relations and wished the delegation a pleasant and fruitful stay in India. MPs Rekha Sharma, Muzibulla Khan, Parmar Jashvantsinh Salamsinh, Rajya Sabha Secretary-General P C Mody, other senior officers of Rajya Sabha Secretariat and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) were also present on the occasion.

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