On 23 February 2024, the AFoCO Secretariat signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam National University of Forestry (VNUF) for the implementation of the project: Establishment of ASEAN-Korea Garden in Vietnam (AFoCO/042/2024). The garden will be established in Xuan Mai Town, Chuong My District, Ha Noi Capital, Vietnam. As the second ASEAN-Korea garden to sign the MoU following Cambodia in March 2023, this project aims to establish the ASEAN-Korea garden for strengthening regional forest cooperation and to promote ecotourism and educational programs.
The MoU was signed by the Vice Executive Director of AFoCO, Mr. Jin Sunpil and the President of VNUF, Professor Pham Van Dien. During the congratulatory remark from the Vice Executive Director (VED) of AFoCO, he emphasized that the project symolizes a collaborative effort foresting regional cooperation and advancing evnvironmental sustainability. Specifically, the project will work on the followings objectives:
- Establish and increase green spaces in Hanoi Capital
- Promote research and development of high-value plant species in the context of climage change
- Promote educational and awareness raising programs on biodiversity conservation, environmental management, eco-tourism, and forestry knowledge sharing in the region
- Strengthen cooperation between Vietnam, Korea and ASEAN countries
The MoU signing was followed by a technical meeting on the preparation of project inception between the ODA Project Team of the Project and Program Division and the VNUF side. During the meeting, the ODA project team introduced the project inception steps based on the AFoCO Project Manual. The Secretariat wiill further work with the project team in VNUF to proceed with the Project Inception Meeting (PIM) and the 1st Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting to start implementation on ground.
Contributed by ODA Project Team, Project and Program Division, AFoCO Secretariat
