South Korea wants to see Pakistan make progress: ambassador

LAHORE: South Korean Ambassador Jong Hwan Song has said that his country wishes to expand business relations with Pakistan and wants to see Pakistan make progress exactly as his country has done during last six decades.
Addressing a seminar “Pakistan Korea building Business Partnership” organized by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (MKRMS), he said that South Korea has signed an agreement under which his country has provided Pakistan 500 million dollars under Economic Development Cooperation Fund framework for investment in such sectors as energy, information technology, road and tunnel infrastructure, health, education and agriculture.
Chairman of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society and Senior Editor of Health, Education and Current Affairs Wasif Nagi said the seminar will further fortify relations between both the countries as Pakistan sees Korea as a role model of miraculous progress and leadership.
The South Korea ambassador said his country is key partner of Pakistan in power sector and a hydel power project of 100 megawatts was inaugurated by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while work on a 247 megawatts project is in progress. He added that three other plants in Sindh, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir have already been completed with cooperation of Korea. He expressed hope that Pakistan would give them opportunity for installation of LNG power plants. He said big Korean companies are working in Pakistan while six Korean companies are in Pakistan in order to conduct a detailed analysis of the Pakistani markets. He praised Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for partnership with Korea, however, expressed concern at shrinking Korean trade volume by 27 percent during last two years.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MIRA Power Project Dr Kim Kyung-Man said Pakistan has the capability to produce 60,000 megawatts electricity with hydel projects. Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Chaudhry Nawaz, vice president of Aiwan-i-Tijarat Lahore Nasir Saeed and Punjab Trade and Investment Board CEO Habil Rahman Gilani also addressed the seminar.