By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Kim Seong-joong met with Ambassador Aida Ismailova of the Kyrgyz Republic to Korea and her entourage at the provincial office on July 22 to discuss international cooperation measures in the field of the disabled.

This meeting was arranged to conduct preliminary exchanges and improve the effectiveness of the project ahead of the ‘2025 Local Government Public Cooperation Project Integrated Competition’ fully supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The province plans to apply for this competition with the ‘Project to Strengthen Civil Servant Capacity for Accessibility and Social Integration of the Disabled in the Kyrgyz Republic (Draft).’

This project is to enhance the Kyrgyz Republic’s disability policy capacity and support the realization of an inclusive society.

The Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic submitted an official letter of intent to cooperate to the province, evaluating the project as being in line with the national priority of ensuring equal rights for persons with disabilities and building an inclusive society.

In particular, it is expected to be linked to the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the ‘Accessible Nation for Persons with Disabilities (2023-2030) Program.’

Vice Governor Kim said, “The province and Kyrgyzstan have established a foundation for closer cooperation in the field of policies for persons with disabilities,” and added, “I hope that the friendly relations between the two countries will deepen even further.”

Ambassador Aida Ismailova of the Kyrgyz Republic to Korea responded, “I expect that exchanges between the two regions will become more active through the project to strengthen the capacity of civil servants to enhance accessibility and social integration for persons with disabilities in the Kyrgyz Republic,” and added, “If selected for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) public offering project, I will actively cooperate.”