Sushma voices security concerns to N Korea

New Delhi, India’s international outreach continues to be intense this week, with the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj having a series of meetings with her counterparts from Asia and the Pacific.
The External Affairs Minister today hosted her Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North) counterpart Ri Su Yong and gets ready for a Framework Dialogue with Australian Foreign Minister Julia Bishop tomorrow.
While conveying New Delhi’s security concerns, the External Affairs Minister underscored the significance of peace and stability in the Korean peninsula for the country. India is also concerned over supply of missiles by North Korea to Pakistan.
The ministry said this was the first-ever visit at foreign minister-level from DPR Korea to India. Both sides discussed issues of mutual interest in a frank and friendly atmosphere.
During the talks, Sushma assured her counterpart that New Delhi would positively consider Pyongyang’s request for additional humanitarian assistance. North Korea is under severe sanctions, including banking, travel and trade, from the United Nations and Western countries, over its pursuance of nuclear programme.
“The Foreign Minister-level talks were held in a frank and friendly atmosphere where issues of mutual interest, including India’s security concerns, came up for discussion. The minister conveyed to her Korean counterpart the significance of peace and stability in the Korean peninsula for India’s Act East policy”, the MEA said in a statement.
Ahead of the India-Australia Foreign Minister’s Framework Dialogue here, the visiting Australian Minister Julia Bishop emphasized that New Delhi would be a far more important player in East Asia and the in Canberra, India has both a natural partner and natural friend.
Delivering the inaugural “Indo-Pacific Oration” organised by Observer Research Foundation here today, the Australian Foreign Minister said: “We want a FTA (Free Trade Agreement), a meaningful agreement, to further strengthen economic relationship”.
She pointed out that Australia had FTAs with South Africa, Japan and China and are now looking forward to an FTA with India to complete the quartet.
The minister said under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India had set out to travel a new road in the beginning of the 21st century. This road is full of economic opportunities, high expectations, risks and complexities.
Australia, she said, wanted to be a partner of choice for energy security, gas, coal and uranium. While China and its assertive foreign policy, she said, figures in discussions between India and Australia, she felt that the framework code of conduct that ASEAN wants in South China Sea could help freedom of navigation go on unimpeded.
She said New Delhi was willing to take on greater role in security in the Asia-Pacific region, which got reflected the US-India Joint Strategic Vision. Bishop observed that former PM Manmohan Singh contributed fresh ideas on the region that his successor was taking forward.