South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-keun has stressed the importance of infrastructure cooperation in developing close bilateral ties between the two countries.

Bangladesh and South Korea have a long history of infrastructure cooperation and the two countries see "big potential" for strengthening infrastructure cooperation.

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea and KOTRA Dhaka Office organized an Infrastructure Project Roadshow on Tuesday at a city hotel.

Ten Bangladesh benders and 11 Korean construction and engineering companies based in Dhaka participated in the event.

Ambassador Lee said a total of 111 Korean companies participated in 210 infrastructure projects in Bangladesh, with a total project volume of more than 8 billion US dollars since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1973.

Even before Bangladesh’s independence in 1969, one Korean company, Koryo Development, participated in the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway construction project, he said.

Korean Government has made various efforts to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure with Bangladesh, such as active utilization of the EDCF, Korea’s soft loan for development funding, and the launching of the Private-Public Partnership Platform in 2019.

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Participants of this roadshow expressed keen interest in further strengthening collaboration in infrastructure development.

Bangladeshi side, expressing a high level of satisfaction for the high quality of work by Korean partners, stresses the high potential of cooperation between the two countries in developing Bangladesh's infrastructure.

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Representatives of BBA, BPDB, DMTCL, DPDC, DWASA, SREDA, PGCB, REB, RPCL, RHD from the Bangladesh side, and KEC, Samsung C&T, Hyundai Construction, Hyundai Development Corporation, Halla Construction, GS Construction, Kunwha Engineering, Pyunghwa Engineering, Dohwa Engineering, Susung Engineering, Heerim Construction from Korean side participated.

Also, the country directors of KOICA, Korea Exim Bank, and KIND of Korea were present.