'Korean training a fillip for Sri Lanka's development'

Human Resources are the driving force behind economic and social progress of any developing country, South Korean Ambassador Choi Ki Chul said.

Addressing the 10th Anniversary special meeting of the Association of KOICA Fellows in Sri Lanka - AKOFE, the Ambassador said that Korea had provided training to the Sri Lanka government and private sector manpower for nearly two decades.

The Korean training program played a significant role in providing the valuable manpower training necessary for Sri Lanka's development priorities.

"Since the commencement of grant-in-aid and technical cooperation program in 1991, the Korean government had trained nearly 850 Sri Lankan government officials in various fields such as public administration, economics, industrial technology, education and vocational training", he said.

Considering the effectiveness of the training program the Korean government has since decided to expand it by increasing the intake of Sri Lankan beneficiaries to Korea and formulate the necessary group training and tailored curriculum for the priority sector, he said.

Referring to AKOFE, he said that AKOFE stands as a visible entity symbolizing the partnership and friendship between Korea and Sri Lanka. LSAW.