Zambia’s Gary Chilala Nkombo and South Korea’s Park Je-kyung strengthen bilateral cooperation
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) Honourable Gary Chilala Nkombo, MP, poses for a photo with His Excellency Mr. Park Jae-kyung, Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of South Korea to the Republic of Zambia. This was when the Ambassador paid a courtesy call on the Minister at his Office recently to discuss various issues of bilateral cooperation between the two Countries. – Picture Courtesy of MLGRD
By Derrick Sinjela and Simon Banda
Zambia and South Korea have pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation towards enhancing rural development to improve the livelihoods of local communities through the National Decentralization Policy (NDP).
This mutually agreed bilateral pledge came to light when Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of South Korea to the Republic of Zambia, Mr. Park Je-kyung paid a courtesy call on Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) Mr. Gary Chilala Nkombo at a recent MLGRD dialogue to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Mr. Park reiterated Republic of South Korea willingness to offer financial and technical support to help accelerate efforts by the Zambian Government to implement more development projects in rural communities, taking advantage of Zambia’s political stability.
Ambassador Park said this gesture is because South Korea has enjoyed cordial relations with Zambia for many years, and is eager to increase its volume of bilateral assistance.
“South Korea will in due course share more development ideas focused on rolling out new investments opportunities in Zambia, by targeting areas to promote mechanised-agriculture projects, and infrastructure development in rural communities. I encourage South Korea and Zambia to utilize the Saemaul Undong (SMU), which is a South Korean strategy aimed at accelerating the development in communities, especially in rural areas of that country, which Zambia seeks to replicate and localize, in an effort to improve community development,” explained Mr Park.
Representating the United Party for National Development (UPND) Administration, Mr. Nkombo informed Ambassador Park that Zambia is ready to strengthen more bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the globe in an effort to accelerate delivery of more meaningful development to rural communities.
“I implore Korean investors to take advantage of Zambia’s favourable investment climate to invest in agriculture, which has over one million hectares of arable land for farming activities,” vowed Nkombo, currently serving as UPND Mazabuka Member of Parliament (MP) in the Southern Province.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) Honourable Gary Chilala Nkombo, MP, listens as His Excellency Mr. Park Jae-kyung Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of South Korea to the Republic of Zambia stresses a point. This was when the Ambassador paid a courtesy call on the Minister at his Office recently to discuss various issues of bilateral cooperation between the two Countries. Picture Courtesy of MLGRD.
