Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) signed the Record of Discussion (RoD) for the “Inclusive Rural Development Project in Bardiya District (IRDP)” in Nepal on 10th September, 2024 at MoFAGA.

The RoD was signed by Mooheon Kong, Country Director of KOICA and Kali Prasad Parajuli, Joint Secretary of the MoFAGA.The Korean Government through KOICA has allocated USD 8 million for the project. The implementing agencies for the project area will be 8 Municipalities of Bradiya District on behalf of Government of Nepal.

The main objective of this project is to enhance the capacity of communities in Bardiya district for agricultural production, upgrade the value chain through integration of value additions by establishing market linkages and scaling up ecotourism initiatives, fostering sustainable and resilient livelihoods and the local economy. The project shall be implemented in a very unique manner. Locally Initiated Projects (LIPs) will be formulated based on the absolute need of local communities, then the communities will be capacitated to implement the projects.

In the program, MoFAGA Joint Secretary Kali Prasad Parajuli expressed the importance of enhancing the agricultural productivity to uplift communities at large especially in rural areas. He further extended his gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Korea for the partnership which will enhance the friendly relationship between the two countries. He further assured the full cooperation from the GoN for the successful implementation of this project.

During the event, Kong expressed that this project will be an opportunities to bring Korean knowledge and technology in rural development of Nepal. He recalled the successful implementation of similar project in Nawalprasi and he assured that the project in Bardiya will achieve more as there will be a chance to review on lessons learned from Nawalparasi. From 2016-2022 Inclusive Rural Development Project in Nawalparasi (IRDN) project was successfully implemented by KOICA from which the need of such project in other parts of Nepal is felt which resulted in the implementation of the 2nd phase of agriculture and rural development projects from KOICA.

The ceremony also commemorated the 50 years of diplomatic ties between Nepal and Korea. The Government of the Republic of Korea has been supporting the Government of Nepal through KOICA in various areas of health, agriculture, education(technical), vocational training, rural development and IT since 1991. By 2023, total amount of KOICA's support surpassed Two hundred million US Dollars. This comprehensive assistance encompasses 45 Country Partnership Projects, 114 Civil Society Organization (CSO) Projects, Capacity Enhancement Programs that have benefitted 2,211 participants and the World Friends Korea (WFK) program, which has dispatched 3,236 volunteers and specialists to Nepal. Nepal's designation as a Core Partnership Country by the Government of the Republic of Korea for 15 consecutive years highlights the strong bilateral relationship and commitment to Nepal's development goals.