KOICA and Thailand International Cooperation Agency Announce '3rd Work Plan'... Expanding Cooperation Projects Over 3 Years

Expansion of Joint Cooperation Projects with Third Asian Countries Following Last November's Han River-Mekong River Declaration
Focused Cooperation in Transportation Infrastructure, Science and Technology Innovation, COVID-19 Response, and Water Resources Sectors

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] KOICA announced the 3rd Work Plan outlining the cooperation fields and activities between KOICA and the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) for the next three years at the KOICA headquarters in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 15th.

KOICA Chairperson Lee Mi-kyung and Pattarat Hongtong, Director General of TICA, attended the announcement, which was held via video conference considering the COVID-19 situation.

The two organizations have been jointly implementing development cooperation projects by establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2014 to promote joint cooperation projects targeting third-country development cooperation recipients, and have been formulating work plans every three years.

The 3rd Work Plan, discussed as an extension of cooperation over the past six years, has expanded the scope and form of cooperation following the adoption of the Han River-Mekong River Declaration at the Korea-Mekong Summit held last November. The Han River-Mekong River Declaration explicitly states the strengthening of cooperation between KOICA and TICA for ASEAN regional shared prosperity.

Considering the Han River-Mekong River Declaration and its action plan, the two organizations selected "transport infrastructure, science and technology innovation, COVID-19 response, and water resource management" as the key cooperation areas of the 3rd Work Plan. Specific activities such as technical cooperation programs, dispatch of experts and volunteer groups, and sharing of development experiences and knowledge will be promoted targeting Asian countries starting this year. The 1st Work Plan focused on rural and public health sectors, while the 2nd Work Plan focused on rural and water resource development sectors.

Amid the global spread of COVID-19, cooperation to strengthen the healthcare capacity of ASEAN countries in response to COVID-19 will also be carried out. Under KOICA's leadership, a training course titled "Advanced Training for Infectious Disease Medical Personnel Capacity Building Utilizing ASEAN COVID-19 Diagnostic Kits," scheduled for late September, will include participation from Thai medical staff and related government officials, who will then share their COVID-19 response experiences with other ASEAN countries.

The most notable feature of this 3rd Work Plan is the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between Korea and Thailand, moving beyond the joint cooperation (triangular cooperation) for third-country support emphasized in the 1st and 2nd Work Plans. KOICA supports capacity building in Thailand in each cooperation field, and Thailand, based on its enhanced capabilities, will conduct capacity building and development cooperation activities targeting neighboring Asian countries. Through this process, KOICA expects to simultaneously support capacity building in Thailand and other Asian partner countries, contributing to enhanced connectivity within Asia and the leading development of the Mekong region.

KOICA Chairperson Lee Mi-kyung said, "Through this 3rd Work Plan, we expect to achieve mutual synergy by cooperating with TICA, a key ASEAN country and an emerging donor in Asia strengthening its influence within the region," adding, "We hope KOICA's development cooperation project experience and the expertise of Korean professionals in various fields will enhance the effectiveness of Thailand's development cooperation projects and further contribute to the realization of shared prosperity in Asia."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.