Tuesday December 16, 2014
Kabul (BNA) Afghan-Korea Alumni Association (AKAA) held its annual general meeting on Wednesday in Continental hotel with mass participation of government officials and individuals.
At the outset, Sayed Shah Kashani, AKAA president welcomed the participants and laid emphasize on AKAA activities in Kabul and overseas.
Mr. Kashani added that over 1037 Afghans are in Korea for short and long-term studies including master and Ph.D. levels. He went on to say that AKAA has eight members and focuses on cultural and social activities and its core objective is to promote mutual cooperation through education and culture.
Mr. Kashani continued say that AKAA has developed a database to have records of its trainees and added that a website is supposed to be inaugurated to further connect the trainees nationally and globally.
Later on Kong Mooheon, Resident Representative for Korea International Cooperation Agency in Afghanistan called the meeting as very special and grand occasion for Alumni and the biggest and most desiring event in the year. He further added that as matter of fact, Afghan-KOICA Alumni Association is one of the platforms that play the bridging role between the two countries in terms of social, cultural, as well as, as platform for the ex-participants of KOICA, with the aim to maintain the good relations among the Alumni and contributing the nation’s development by sharing their knowledge and experience. Mr. Mooheon called Afghanistan as the major partner of the Korean Government and said that since twelve years till now, the Korean Government has been assisting Government of Afghanistan through a variety of aid programs of KOICA focused on public health, vocational training, rural development, and national capacity building.
He said that since 2002, KOICA has arranged the invitational fellowship training programs for more than 1,600 Afghan Government officials; including 110 fellowships in the current year where trainees received exposure to the Korean development experience and have eventually become the valued Alumni of the Association. According to him, the Afghan-KOICA Alumni are now effectively performing their duties in their respective ministries and government offices with their enriched knowledge and experience. “They significantly contribute to the recovery and development of Afghanistan and the strengthening of bonds, friendly relations, and mutual understanding between Korea and Afghanistan.” He added.
Afterwards, Simin Hassanzada, deputy publication minister for MoIC while delivering speech at the AKAA annual general meeting said: “Laid in the midst of the waters, Korea is with the people of noble human culture, modest, gentle, humble, friendly, smiling, hospitable, and a heart like the limpid waters surrounded the peninsula. Korea a territory of secrets and mysteries—with a background of challenges and difficulties originated from invaders’ historical violence and war, the land in which, the secrets of overcoming all challenges and the brutal incursions on its sacred territory is reflected in the feature of its citizens, particularly the bright feature of its youths, its green hilltops, amidst its luxury and amazing skyscrapers and from amongst its committed artists.”
Mrs. Hassanzada added that in her trip to Korea something amazing to her was the active presence of the Korean women in all spheres, including airports, other businesses such as shopping centers administrating hotels and markets under full security and free of any types of gender harassment. Deputy Minister for publication went on to says that her ministry is ready to cooperate with AKAA for promoting mutual and cultural cooperation with Korea and KOICA office in Kabul. Farhad Osmani, Head of Civil Service Institute of Afghanistan thanked KOICA and promised to organize the “New Village Movement” program with KOICA support very soon. In the meeting, a short video clip of Korea’s rapid economic development entitled “Connecting through shared values” was exhibited and welcomed by the participants.
The annual general meeting continued with Taekwondo show by newly students of AKTVC Taekwondo team, Taekwondo performance by the Afghanistan’s National Taekwondo Federation, National Atan and folklore music. In open discussion which was the part of the event, the participants thanked KOCIA and Korea for establishment of Afghan-Korea Alumni Association and called such meetings very important for strengthening of mutual cooperation between Afghanistan and Korea. They asked the Korean government to continue their supports from Afghanistan and further provide learning opportunities to Afghan youths, so that take advantages of Korea’s development experiences and implement it here in the country, where the people passed over three decades of devastating war. The program was concluded with closing remarks by Najibullah Sultani, AKAA secretary general, thanking the participants for attending the ceremony. At the end, the new KOICA calendar for 2015 distributed to the participants.
