– Vice Governor Ahn Yang-ho’s Eight-Day Visit to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam Ends on July 20

A delegation from Gyeonggi Province will visit Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) on an eight-day trip that will wrap up on July 20, 2008. By providing such assistance, the province aims not only to help the less fortunate in Southeast Asian countries but also to improve the international status of Gyeonggi Province and strengthen networks for international cooperation.

The delegation, which will be led by Vice Governor Ahn Yang-ho, will participate in a ceremony for the completion of the construction of an extension for Knei Elementary School in Kampot Province, Cambodia, and then attend a signing ceremony for the establishment of a Youth Development Center in Vientiane, Laos. The delegation will also provide development assistance at the municipal level, discussing ways to promote international cooperation with Ha Tay Province, Gyeonggi Province’s sister region in Vietnam.

– Completion of extension of Knei Elementary School in Kampot, Cambodia: July 15, 2008
– Signing ceremony for establishment of Youth Development Center in Vientiane, Laos: July 16, 2008
– Agreement on cooperation for Ha Tay, Vietnam: July 18, 2008

In 2007, Gyeongi Province provided support for the addition of 4 classrooms and an admission passage, as well as the renovation of a bridge, for Knei Elementary School in Kampot Province as part of its efforts to assist developing nations. The extension project aimed to improve the educational environment in the region. The Gyeonggi delegation will participate in the completion ceremony and review the project results during the visit.

The delegation also will visit the site for Suwon Village in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and meet with NGO officials who provide development assistance in Cambodia. The delegation will collect suggestions from experts working in the field, and incorporate them in the future assistance projects of the Province.

In Laos, the province will contribute the improvement of the educational environment of Vientiane by establishing the Youth Development Center, and Vice Governor Ahn and the Director General of Vientiane Office of Education will enter into an agreement for cooperation.

The delegation will also visit Ha Tay Province in Vietnam and strengthen bilateral ties by discussing ways to promote cooperation between the two regions with the Vice Governor of Ha Tay.