If needed, Defence Minister will convey Indian position on Kashmir to Republic of Korea: Indian Ambassador

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will begin his three-day visit to the Republic of Korea starting tomorrow and if Kashmir issue will come up, he will convey India's position on the Kashmir issue, said Indian envoy Sripriya Ranganathan.

"Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday afternoon on a significant visit where he would be meeting the Korean Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. The two sides will be discussing ways to further strengthen their ties," Indian Ambassador to Republic of Korea Sripriya Ranganathan told ANI.

When asked if the Kashmir issue would come up for discussion between the two sides during the visit, she said that if the matter comes up for discussion, the Defence Minister will definitely convey the Indian position to the Korean leadership.

Ranganathan said the stated Indian position on the Kashmir issue was very clear that this was an internal matter of India and there was no need for the international community to be concerned.

During his visit to Japan also, Rajnath Singh had told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday that Pakistan has no "locus standi on Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India."

He had also informed Abe that the decision to revoke the special status accorded to the state will benefit its people.

Pakistan has gone on a diplomatic overdrive criticising India's decision to abrogate article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and demanding international intervention in the issue which has been opposed strongly by India.

Amid the growing defence ties between India and Korea including military hardware cooperation, the Defence Minister is also scheduled to visit the Korean Aerospace Industries facility.

India had recently acquired the K-9 Vajra howitzers was high have been made in India with a Korean firm while other firms are in a race for several Indian defence projects.

The Indian Ambassador said the Defence Minister would also pay tributes at the Korean War memorial including the Indian soldiers who were deployed there as peacekeepers in the 1950s during the Korean wars.

The defence minister is accompanied by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and several defence and military officials for the important two-nation visit.