(VNF) - The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will provide USD20 million in non-refundable aid to the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) for post-war bomb and landmine recovery efforts.

The Korean side will provide 62% of the total capital of USD32.2 million.

A record of discussions for the bilateral mine action project was inked in Hanoi on June 14th between KOICA Country Director Chang Jea-yun and Deputy National Defence Minister and member of the Steering Committee for the National Action Program on overcoming post-war bombs and mines (Steering Committee 504), Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Vietnam, Mr Lee Hyuk, pledged to help victims of bombs, mines and explosives with rehabilitation and raise public awareness of how to avoid those accidents./.

Apart from setting up an information system on UXO-contaminated sites, training courses on safety will be carried out to help local people avoid being killed or wounded by UXOs, and making contributions to local economic development.

Both sides will establish monitoring and management boards for the project and launch regular consultation mechanisms throughout the process.

Under the theme “Vietnam and RoK cooperate in surmounting the aftermath of post-war unexploded ordnance (UXO)”, the project is a significant beginning to realise the commitments in a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in post-war bomb and mine recovery signed in 2014, and the framework agreement on non-refundable aid signed between the two Governments in 2009./.

VNF