Dr Khamphachanh Vongsana (left) and Mr Moon Kyeong-Duk display signed agreements on the handover of the training facility in Vientiane on Thursday.

Laos-Korea Irrigation Development and Cooperation Centre holds grand opening ceremony

The grand opening of the Laos-Korea Irrigation Development and Cooperation Centre took place on April 25, providing a custom-built irrigation training centre for Lao officials working at the central to local levels.

Lao and Korean officials on Thursday cut a ribbon during the opening ceremony of the Laos-Korea Irrigation Development and Cooperation Centre in Vientiane.

Those attending the ceremony included Laos’ Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Thongphat Vongmany; Minister-Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Laos, Mr Kim Jong-min; Korea’s Secretary of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Mr Moon Kyeong-Duk; and associated officials from Laos and Korea.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Thongphat outlined the benefits of the training facility, saying it would enhance the knowledge of staff working in the irrigation sector, both public and private, and would contribute to the implementation of the agricultural development strategy until 2025 and the vision until 2030.
He said “The Laos-Korea Irrigation Development and Cooperation Centre has enormous potential project to strengthen the skills of technicians and engineers working in the field of irrigation and to raise their capacity to international standards. The Centre will enable trainees to learn about the modern irrigation technology used in the Republic of Korea.”
The Centre will provide newly training facilities, create manuals, and provide a newly laboratory for the testing of water quality equipment and soil analysis, to ensure they meet international standards.
The Laos-Korea Irrigation Development and Cooperation Centre under Department of Irrigation is located in Nonsa-art village, Xaythany district, funded by grant aid from the Republic of Korea. Its construction is funded by the Korean Rural Community Corporation at a cost of over US$1.47 million, with the project running from November 2022 to March 2024.
The Centre was built to provide irrigation and water resources development training courses, which is vital to the success of agriculture in Laos. New irrigation technology from Korea has been introduced to central and local irrigation workers and to independent engineers and entrepreneurs concerned with irrigation, while the sharing of skills between Laos and Korea is a highlight of the project.
Director General of Department of Irrigation, Dr Khamphachanh Vongsana, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, represented by the Department of Irrigation, requested the assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea to set up the training project.
Korean ministry officials held talks with their Lao counterparts in 2019, resulting in an agreement with the Korean state enterprise KRC to carry out a study into the project.
In 2021, Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs granted US$4.75 million for the project and signed a Record of Discussion in July 2021, when it was agreed that implementation would take place from 2022-2026.
The training centre will build the capacity of irrigation personnel through irrigation technology training and water resource development.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update April 30, 2024)