The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has completed 30 years of development partnership in Nepal. To mark the occasion, a special ceremony was held in Kathmandu on Friday, during which three major project agreements were signed, amounting to a total grant of USD 29 million.
Under the first agreement, a program to establish the Gandaki Technical Institute will be implemented from 2025 to 2030 with a grant of USD 9 million. Finance Secretary Ghanshyam Upadhyay and South Korean Ambassador to Nepal, Park Tae-Young, signed the agreement.
The second agreement relates to the second phase of the Fruits and Vegetable Value Chain Development Project. This project, which will run from 2025 to 2031, has a budget of USD 10 million. The agreement was signed by Dr. Hari Bahadur KC, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and KOICA Nepal Country Director Muhan Kong.
Similarly, another agreement was signed for the establishment of the Sudurpaschim Polytechnic Institute. This project, with a budget of USD 10 million, will also be implemented from 2025 to 2030. The agreement was signed by Shiv Kumar Sapkota, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and KOICA Country Director Muhan Kong.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Kong reaffirmed KOICA’s strong commitment to long-term partnership and inclusive, sustainable development in Nepal, highlighting education, health, agriculture, and good governance as key priority areas.
Bhrigu Dhungana, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thanked KOICA for its contributions to strengthening bilateral ties and supporting Nepal in achieving its sustainable development goals.
Ambassador Park Tae-Young described KOICA’s 30-year journey as a reflection of Nepal-Korea friendship and emphasized that the new agreements symbolize partnership and progress.
Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya congratulated KOICA on the historic milestone and assured the Nepal government’s readiness to cooperate in expanding reach and sustainability of future programs.
KOICA has supported Nepal in sectors such as health, education, agriculture, technical training, rural development, information technology, and tourism since 1991. So far, KOICA has deployed 2,921 volunteers to Nepal and facilitated capacity-building programs for 2,230 Nepali civil servants.
Nepal was prioritized under KOICA’s cooperation framework in 2010, leading to a significant increase in assistance from the South Korean government. By 2025, KOICA’s cumulative support to Nepal is expected to exceed USD 200 million. -- RSS
you need to login before leave a comment
Write a Comment
Comments
No comments yet.