The Chief Adviser urged South Korea to invest more in Bangladesh and employ more Bangladeshis, especially in their shipbuilding industry, for mutual benefit. Muhammad Yunus.
He made this call when he went to meet South Korean Ambassador Park Yong-sik assigned to Dhaka at the Chief Adviser's office in Tejgaon on Monday (November 4).
The press wing of the chief adviser said that the ambassador of South Korea. Muhammad Yunus said, we look forward to a broader and more developed relationship with South Korea; Take our existing relationship to the next level.
Bringing up the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, Ambassador Park Yong-shik expressed concern over North Korea's military deployment in Russia, the Ukraine war and recent ballistic missile tests. The Chief Adviser sought peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean Ambassador Park Yong-sik told the Chief Advisor that many South Korean companies are interested in investing in Bangladesh. He expressed special interest in taking Bangladeshi workers in Korea's shipbuilding sector.
He said that many South Korean companies are operating RMG factories in Special Economic Zones of Bangladesh.
The ambassador also said that Bangladesh is the number one recipient country of Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) and a very important development partner.
The total amount of ODA loans from EDCF for Bangladesh is $3 billion, including 34 projects. EDCF also has 14 projects ongoing or under feasibility study. This will increase the amount of Korean investment to $7 billion.
The South Korean ambassador also said, “We hope to continue the existing projects without interruption.”
He said just 50 years ago, Korea was also an ODA (Official Development Assistance) recipient country. Therefore, we are well aware of Bangladesh's difficulties and can be good partners by sharing development experiences. He stressed the need for urgent discussions on EPA between Bangladesh and South Korea.
The Chief Adviser thanked Korea for its continued assistance to Bangladesh in various fields.
Chief Coordinator of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lamia Morshed and Secretary of Economic Relations Department. Shahriar Quader Siddiqui was present at this time.
