Round The World

New Delhi, 3 August 2011

India-S Korea N Deal

WELCOME LEAP FORWARD

By Monish Tourangbam

Research Scholar, School of International Studies (JNU)

Post the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, questions have been raised towards the use of nuclear energy and demands for stricter safety standards have increased manifold. Understandably, the proposed India-Japan nuclear agreement has been put on hold. But, pragmatically, one has to accept that the use of nuclear energy is here to stay and that attention must be paid towards tighter regulations rather than eliminating it altogether. At this juncture, the signing of the ambitious India-South Korea nuclear agreement for peaceful use is a major leap forward in the emerging strategic partnership between these two countries.

The agreement was inked recently during the high-profile visit of President Pratibha Patil. The deal was signed after a 20-minute restricted meeting between Patil and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, which was followed by an hour-long talk between the Indian delegation —  parliamentarians, government officials and a high-level business mission — and their South Korean counterparts.

Unlike other countries, the South Koreans have not set uncomfortable conditions for India which refuses the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) terming them as discriminatory in nature. The deal’s timing, during a recent Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) decision to strengthen the rules for transfer of Enrichment and Reprocessing (ENR) technologies should ease some of New Delhi’s concerns.

Moreover, it shows the level of confidence that India and South Korea have in their bilateral relationship, which has shown major promises across a broad spectrum of issues. Since India’s nuclear energy market was opened as a result of the NSG waiver given to it in 2008, major countries and former skeptics have come forward to accept New Delhi’s clean non-proliferation record. For some time, nuclear cooperation has been one of the highlights of the buoyant relationship between the two countries.

South Korea’s state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) is one of the leaders in the field of producing clean atomic energy. KEPCO's entry into the Indian nuclear energy market would increase New Delhi's access to clean nuclear energy with reliable, efficient safety features, crucial for India.

With the deal having been inked, efforts should now be made from both the sides towards a smooth implementation process, keeping in mind the domestic demands back home. According to analysts, the deal is also a major gain for South Korea, which has set clear and ambitious goals towards increasing its foothold in the area of exporting clean, safe nuclear energy for peaceful uses and other maintenance services required for a successful nuclear energy programme.

Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Singh told the media that India needs to tap all possible opportunities in the space of energy and any cooperation, especially on the energy infrastructure front, is in India’s interest.

Since the liberalization of the economy and the proposition of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ in the early 90s, policymakers in New Delhi have increasingly tried to tighten and expand relations with East Asian countries. South Korea is a dynamic economy with which New Delhi has deliberately increased the frequency and the depth of its relationship. And the civilian nuclear agreement is not a lone achievement but a major feather in the cap, and an important part of the major inter-linkages between the two countries.

Recall that Lee Myung-bak visited was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Celebrations in 2010, adding depth the bilateral ties. The Defence Minister also paid a major visit to South Korea in September 2010 substantially increasing defence ties, something vital for the sustenance of any strategic partnership. During Antony’s visit last year, major MoUs were signed towards bringing the two nations closer in terms of exchanges across different branches of the defence departments and towards joint research and co-production of defence technology.

The ties with South Korea are founded on goodwill between the two countries and the democratic and economic credentials of both. As such, the ties are interwoven across different sectors and are long-term in nature. India’s rise as an economic power and one of the largest markets has invariably added to the essence of this relationship, with South Korean investments increasing every year and the Korean companies becoming household names in India.

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) implemented since January 2010 has been a major boost to the economic ties. Accordingly, bilateral trade rose by 40 per cent last year, and by current projections is slated to reach $ 21 billion during the current calendar year, with a target of $ 30 billion US Dollars by 2014. Discussions have been held for further upgrading the CEPA and expert level discussions are slated to commence from late-September this year.

Marketing the country as one of the major attractions insofar as investments are concerned, Pratibha Patil said: “India attaches great importance to improving its infrastructure, for which about $ 1 trillion will be required in the coming years…This provides a great investment opportunity for foreign companies, including those from Korea.”  

President Patil also highlighted India's capabilities in the peaceful use of outer space, and urged greater cooperation between the two countries in this sphere. The two Governments have also established a Joint Science and Technology Fund amounting to $ 10 million for joint research between scientists, in areas such as Information Technology, Biotechnology, energy-efficient technologies and nanotechnology.

Moreover, an Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea was launched last year, further cementing the ties between the corporate at both ends. Additionally, sincere efforts have been made towards exploiting the cultural ties between the two countries, with a bust of Rabindranath Tagore being installed at a public place in Seoul and with the reciprocal establishment of Cultural Centres in both the capitals.

Besides the nuclear deal, two other important agreements were inked, between the two governments—an MoU on Media Exchanges and another an Administrative Arrangements for Social Security Agreement. Both proof of the diverse issues in which India and South Korea, as functioning democracies, strive to improve at the governmental as well as at the people-to-people level.

The world is entering an era of complex interdependence, where ties are built across a broad area of convergences. As a rising power in the Asian continent, pitted against another giant power in the form of China, India should give greater importance to establishing strategic ties with East Asian economies such as South Korea. The common thread of democracy and an effective economy is an added advantage to this relationship. It forms a vital part in view of New Delhi’s global and regional ambitions. With the nuclear deal inked and major strides expected in the field of economy, the future for both New Delhi and Seoul looks bright. However, all efforts should now be made on implementing the ambitions set and projects envisioned. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)