Kathmandu. The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has completed 30 years of its development partnership in Nepal. Agreements on three important projects were signed at a special ceremony held on the occasion.

As per the first agreement, a $9 million programme will be implemented from 2025 to 2030 to establish the Gandaki Technical Institute. Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Ghanshyam Upadhyay and Ambassador of South Korea to Nepal H.E. Park Tae-young signed the agreement.

Similarly, the second phase of ‘Fruits and Valuable Value Chain Development Project’ has been signed. The project is expected to run from 2025 to 2031 with a budget of $10 million.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Dr Hari Bahadur KC and Country Director of KOICA Nepal Muhan Kong signed the agreement.

Another project to establish far-western polytechnic institute has also been signed. The project, which will be implemented from 2025 to 2030, has a budget of $10 million. Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Shiva Kumar Sapkota and Director of KOICA Nepal, Muhan signed the agreement.

Speaking on the occasion, Director Muhan expressed his firm commitment to long-term partnership, inclusive and sustainable development between Nepal and Korea and said that KOICA’s priorities are in areas such as education, health, agriculture and good governance.

His Excellency Park Tae-young, Ambassador of Korea to Nepal, described koica’s 30-year visit as a reflection of Nepal-Korea friendship and pointed out the new project agreement as a symbol of partnership and progress.

Pokhara Metropolitan City Mayor Dhanraj Acharya congratulated KOICA on this historic occasion and said that the Government of Nepal is ready to cooperate in expanding the reach and sustainability of upcoming programs.

Since 1991, KOICA has been supporting Nepal in the fields of health, education, agriculture, technical training, rural development, information technology and tourism. So far, KOICA has mobilised 2,921 volunteers in Nepal and 2,230 Nepali civil servants have participated in the capacity building programme.

After giving priority to Nepal in 2010, the assistance to Nepal through the South Korean government has increased significantly. By 2025, KOICA’s total assistance has exceeded $200 million. A new framework on development cooperation is in the process of agreement and it is expected that it will further strengthen Nepal-Korea friendship.