Modi, Moon express desire to synergise India's Act East Policy with S Korea's New Southern Policy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed mutual desire to synergise India's 'Act East' policy with South Korea's 'New Southern' Policy when they met on the sidelines of the ongoing G20 Summit here.

"A natural partnership strengthened by historical ties. On the margins of #G20 Summit PM @narendramodi had a good meeting with President of Republic of Korea, @moonriver365. Expressed mutual desire to synergize our Act East Policy with South Korea's New Southern Policy," the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson wrote on Twitter.

On the second day of the summit, the Indian Prime Minister held numerous bilaterals and pull-asides with a host of world leaders, including Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Donald Trump, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among others.

During Modi's bilateral meeting with Merkel, the two leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in artificial intelligence, E-mobility, cybersecurity, railway modernisation, and skill development.

Modi also participated in an informal meeting with the leaders of BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). The meeting stressed the importance of a favourable global economic environment for sustained growth of international trade.

The BRICS leaders called for open markets, stronger economic resilience and financial stability, besides well-designed and coordinated macroeconomic policies. They also stressed on structural reforms, adequate investment in human capital reduction in poverty levels and inequality.