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Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung holds a phone conversation with Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Raja Subramani on July 28. / Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung held an official phone call with the Chief of Defence Staff of India on July 28 to discuss measures to foster bilateral military exchanges and cooperation, as well as regional security situations, including the Korean Peninsula.

On that day, Chairman Jin spoke with General Raja Subramani, the recently inaugurated Indian Chief of Defence Staff. The call was arranged to strengthen strategic communication between the two militaries and advance future-oriented military exchanges and cooperation.

Chairman Jin first congratulated Chief of Defence Staff Subramani on taking office and expressed deep gratitude for India's dedication and contributions to the Republic of Korea during the Korean War, including dispatching a medical support unit. He added that he hopes to further develop military exchanges and cooperation between the two nations based on such historical trust and friendship.

Both sides shared views on recent security situations in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, and agreed on the importance of close cooperation and coordination within the international community amid growing uncertainties in the regional security environment, including North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

They also highly praised tangible cooperation achievements made so far, including military education, personnel exchanges, maritime security cooperation, and defense industry cooperation involving K-9 self-propelled howitzers. In addition, they concurred that the South Korean Navy's participation in MILAN, a multinational naval exercise hosted by India in February this year, strengthened interoperability and cooperation between the two navies.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that through this phone conversation, both sides agreed to further solidify trust and friendship between their militaries and expand the scope of cooperation across various fields.

                                                                                                            Lee Han-sol