Rwanda, Korea sign cooperation deal

The government of the Republic of Korea will provide training to Rwandan nationals in Korea and dispatch experts and volunteers to Rwanda for consultations and on-the-spot training after a pertinent bilateral ‘framework agreement’ was signed onTuesday. According to a statement from the Office of the Government Spokesperson (OGS), Louise Mushikiwabo, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Kim Sung-Hwan, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, signed the Framework Agreement for Development Cooperation, while in New York on Tuesday.This was on the sidelines of the UN Security Council open debate on Protection of Civilians, chaired by the Republic of Korea in its capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of February. “On its part, Rwanda committed to ensure that the skills and knowledge acquired by its nationals as a result of the training programmes will be used to contribute to the economic and social development of the country,” reads part of the OGS statement.Aim of agreement “The aim of this agreement is to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries with a focus on social and economic development in Rwanda.” Bilateral cooperation between the two countries started in 1963. The Republic of Korea and Rwanda collaborate in a wide range of areas, including infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, ICT and capacity building.The Korean government has supported a number of Rwanda’s projects, such as the Integrated Rural Development Project in Kibeho, the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) campus at Kicukiro, and the building of the ICT School for the National University of Rwanda (NUR).During the UN Security Council open debate, Mushikiwabo and Sun-Hwan, delivered statements on behalf of their respective countries. Both countries have been non-permanent members of the Security Council since January 2013. Both are also active contributors to international peace and security, especially in the area of UN peacekeeping.The Republic of Korea is the 10th financial contributor to UN Peacekeeping missions and Rwanda is the sixth largest contributor of UN peacekeepers.