South Korea allocates loan to Uzbekistan for construction of children's medical center

Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 19 By Daniar Azizov - Trend: South Korean government has provided Uzbekistan with a $103 million preferential loan to build a children's multi-profile medical center, a source in Uzbekistan's government circles told Trend. The loan agreement was signed yesterday in Seoul by Uzbekistan's First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Rustam Azimov and South Korean Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Strategy and Finance, Hyun Oh-Seok, according to the source. The loan will be allocated from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of South Korea for 40 years at an interest rate of 0.1 percent per annum. The source said that, the project includes the construction of a "turnkey" medical center with high-tech diagnostic equipment, medical and other special equipment. It was previously reported that, in September 2012 the Finance Ministry of Uzbekistan and South Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance signed a memorandum of understanding. It envisages allocation of $595 million in long-term loans for Uzbekistan from the EDCF between 2012 and 2015. The document also includes the basic parameters of the program of cooperation that are scheduled for implementation in the next three years. These include the establishment of a children's center, a project on creation of a comprehensive national digital library, providing digitizing educational, scientific, popular and artistic sources first of all resources of the National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi. Translated by E.A. Edited by C.N. Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency