Development Coopération Office

of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Pyongyang – DPR Korea

Organization profile

The Development Cooperation Office of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pyongyang was established 1st of October 2001 and started its activities under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Government of the Italian Republic signed on September 28, 2000.

Before this official establishment, in the year 2000, the Italian Government had contributed to the DPR Korea the amount of 2.18 million US $ on November 15, 2000 through the WFP and the fund was used to purchase rice from Vietnam, which was about 8,007 metric tons.

In the year 2001, bilaterally with Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee (FDRC), 1.6 million US $ worth of humanitarian aid for the emergency program “Humanitarian Aid for Agriculture, Health and Basic Education for Kangwon Province” had been drawn up. And as the first phase of this Program the Office conducted the amount of 400,000 US $ for the total quantity of 2,671 metric tons of urea, which was successfully delivered on Nampo Port on December 18, 2001 and distributed in Munchon City, Chonnae County, Anbyon County and Tongchon County in Kangwon Province, the total of 22 Cooperative Farms with the total hectare of 11,669.

At the same time an in-kind contribution of 5.11 million U S $ which amounts to 17,000 metric tons of wheat flour had also been granted to the Country through the WFP.

Furthermore, to support iodized salt production and the national immunization program and the “DPR Korea Special Program for Food Security”, the total amount of 1,800,000 US $ had been granted through UNICEF and FAO.

In the year 2002, in response to the UNDP “Special Alert” appeal made through the report, titled “Main Agriculture Season in DPRK in Danger of Plant Pest Epidemics”, Italian Government approved of financing the 150,000 US $ to the provision of the pesticides at the affected areas.

In the year 2003, to carry out the second phase of the bilateral Program for Kangwon Province, the Italian Embassy in Beijing launched the International Public Tender, which consists of 5 Lots (144 Items), in November 5, 2002. And after one month, the winner had been awarded to Missionpharma (Danish Company) for Lot 1 (Essential Drugs), Agmin (Italian Company) for Lot 2 (Surgical Kits for the County Hospitals and Ri Hospitals) and 2 Korean Companies for Lot 3, 4, 5 (Heating Coal, Education Materials and Construction Materials).

Lot 1 consists of 18 different essential drugs totalling to 14,154.3 Kg in 860 cartons and 49 different items of surgical kits for County Hospitals and 69 different items for Ri Hospitals which amounts to 5,597.7 Kg in 281 cartons for Lot 2.  And Lot 3 consists of 3,500 metric tons of heating coal and Lot 4 (Education Material) was 42 metric tons of printing paper totalling 699,000 sheets and 8,500 pieces of school bags and 1,540 metric tons of cement in 30,800 bags of 50 Kg, 1,800 square meters of glass, 8,300 square meters of veneer total of 2,800 sheets, 2,150 cubic meters of timber total of 10,939 trunks and 20 tons of iron bar in 200 rolls and 20 tons of iron spiral bar total of 4,600 bars which is 6 meters in length for Lot 5 (Construction Materials).

The total cost of 5 Lots is 614,261.45 US $, respectively 140,212 US $ for Lot one, 58,758.72 US $ for Lot two, 92,800 US $ for Lot three, 54,930 US $ for Lot four and 267,560 US $ for Lot five.

All the materials mentioned above were distributed in Schools and Health Institutions in Wonsan City, Munchon County, Chonnae County, Popdong County, Anbyon County, Pangyo County, Kosan County, Tongchon County and Sepho County.

This distribution was done during the period of April and May 2003.

Furthermore the Italian Government approved of financing DPR Korea the €2,973,240 in the last year and this fund was used to purchase 6,088 metric tons of rice through the WFP and this has been carried out successfully.

 And also they approved of financing the program of CESVI named “Multi Sectorial Intervention for Food Security in Tongchon, Pangyo and Popdong Counties (Kangwon Province) in DPRK” for the total amount of 1,149,404 US $ last year.

In the summer 2003 we did another donation to the WFP for a total amount of €3 million and this fund was used to purchase 14,185 metric tons of wheat from China.

And at the end of the year, during the official visit of the Delegation of the European Commission to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from the date of December 9 to 12, 2003, Dr. Guido MARTINI, the Head of the Delegation, presented a new donation of €750,000 for the Bilateral Emergency Operation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPR Korea. 

In addition to the above-mentioned humanitarian aids, the long period scholarships in Italy are also encouraged.

During the year 2001/2002, four Candidates for language, two for architecture and two for banking had already been to Italy for their training courses.

Four Candidates who had been participating one-year Training Course of “International Management Master Course”, which took place in “Istituto Superiore di Sanità” in Rome, Italy received the Certificate for this “International Management Master Course” after successfully completing their Courses.

And other two Doctors from Pyongyang Maternity Hospital have left the Country for Italy last December 2003 so as to take part in long term Training Course of one year. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs awarded this Training Course, which will be held in the Health Institutions of AFMAL – FATEBENEFRATELLI in Rome, Naples and Palermo covering the field of Laparaschopy.

24th March 2004

Dr. Massimo URBANI
Resident Co-ordinator
Development Co-operation Office
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Pyongyang

Tel: + 850 2 3817 140
Fax: + 850 2 3817 817

E.mail: itdco@eastnet.com.cn