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Pranab in Seoul for talks

— Photo: PTI

Boosting ties: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives in Seoul on Sunday on a three-day visit to South Korea.

SEOUL: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrived here on Sunday night, for a meeting of the India-Republic of Korea (ROK) Joint Commission.

The ROK is an important member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Mr. Mukherjee has indicated that India remains keen to negotiate an exclusive safeguards accord with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and also secure the NSG’s endorsement for access to know-how and materials for use in the civilian nuclear domain. This should be of interest to the ROK.

During his visit to Bangkok before arriving here, Mr. Mukherjee said India, now “debarred from nuclear trade,” would be willing to cooperate with Thailand for peaceful uses of atomic energy “once the India-specific arrangement is in place.” This signified an emphatic interest on the part of India to stay the follow-up course in the context of the civilian nuclear energy agreement with the United States.

India and the ROK are partners on the scientific side, as different from the trade dimension, of civilian nuclear energy. And, the ROK, a key participant in the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear arms issue, is known to hold a definitive stand on various aspects of the nuclear-energy spectrum.

On the political plane, especially bilateral relations as distinct from interactions on issues with multilateral implications, India’s ties with the ROK are broadly tension-free.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Special Envoy Shyam Saran has already “sensitised” Seoul to India’s nuclear energy requirements and its non-proliferation credentials.

Mr. Mukherjee’s task now is to engage the ROK at a high political level.

Mr. Mukherjee will visit the inter-Korean demilitarised zone on Tuesday before leaving for Delhi.

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