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By Houda Mzioudet
Tripoli, 25 June 2013:
Libya faces pressing challenges over water supplies, sewerage treatment and garbage disposal an environmental conference has . . .[restrict]been told.
South Korea’s ambassador to Libya, Jong-Kook Lee warned: “”Environmental issues need to be tackled and solved urgently, particularly in the water resources, solid garbage and sewage treatment”.
Lee was speaking at the Korea-Libya Environmental Cooperation forum, held in Tripoli Radisson Blu Hotel yesterday, which brought the CEOs of both Libyan and Korean companies’ CEOs together with decision-makers to discuss prospective cooperation between the two countries in the sector of environment.
Organised by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with the Korean Ministry of Environment, the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) and Korean Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the forum was an opportunity for both Libyans and Koreans to develop networking for a more productive cooperation.
Seven South Korean companies were represented along with 18 Libyan organisations including HIB, the General Desalination Company of Libya and the Ministry of Water Resources.
The forum opened with addresses from Jae-Sung Park, executive director of Korea Environment Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI), the Korean ambassador and Hadi Suliman Hansheer, Libyan Minister of Water Resources.
The South Korean ambassador stressed the importance of sharing values of economic development and democracy between Libya and Korea for “a better cooperation,” he told the Libya Herald.
“With Korea’s accumulated high standard of know-how and technology, we can cooperate in capacity building and provide training and education opportunities in this sector,” Lee explained.
A Korean company representative stated that feasibility studies and developing a master plan are needed at this stage to help Libyan companies in the environment sector tackle issues such as water treatment and sanitation
KEITI’s executive director, Jae-Sung Park highlighted the lack of infrastructure in Libya.
“The Libyan government has got a lot of things to build. Many things are under planning. It will take time,” Park added.
Park underlined Libya’s role as an important commercial partner for Korea in the environment sector and noted the Libyan government’s need to push on with such important projects,
KEITI will be inviting Libyan officials from HIB and from the environment sector next month to visit Korea and see at first hand its achievements in environment policy.
“This forum helped us develop good networks with Libyans and understand the needs of Libyan companies,” he added.
“Based on this cooperation, we can upgrade bi-lateral relations,” Park stressed.
In the same vein, KOTRA’s director Sukwoo Han highlighted Korean government’s willingness to set up bilateral cooperation between Libya and Korea.
“We want to help build new Libya. We do not do it to gain money but to find new ways of cooperating with Libya in the environment sector. Korea is involved in all sectors in Libya and we want to act as a bridge between Korean and Libyan companies,” Han noted.
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