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Helvetas |
Swiss
Development Projects |
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Bhutan's Development |
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Bhutan's Development |
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Cooperation Bhutan - Switzerland |
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A
successful partnership
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February
2006
Describing
his tenure in Bhutan as a "fruitful and a wonderful experience" the outgoing
resident coordinator of the Swiss Association for International Cooperation
(Helvetas/SDC), Mr. Erwin Koenig, said that he was sad to leave Bhutan
at a time when the country was seeing major political and development changes.
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Mr Erwin König
| Mr.
Koenig, who received an audience with His Majesty the King on February
6, said that as long time development partners, Bhutan and Switzerland
had come a long way since they established relations in 1975.
Mr.
Koenig recalled how Helvetas was initially based in Bumthang which they
even called "Little Swiss valley". "It was a bit of a laboratory for us
where we carried out many different experiments," said Mr. Koenig. "Now
decades later, it is heartening to see those activities spread across the
country and doing well too." |
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Mr.
Koenig highlighted the increasing unemployment problem among the educated
youth as a grave problem which needed to be solved. "In 1983, there were
only five Bhutanese graduates and they had difficulty in choosing their
jobs but now the situation is completely different," he said.
The
outgoing resident coordinator explained that it was important for development
partners to work together for better results. "There is nothing that you
can just pick up from your country and place it in another, how well tailored
it may be," he said. "We have our own knowledge and capacity which need
to be put to work together."
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| Mr E Werner Külling |
| In
an interview with Kuensel the new resident coordinator, Mr. E Werner Kuelling,
who had served as the Secretary General of Helvetas/SDC for more than 30
years, said that there was no better way than to end his professional career
in international cooperation working in Bhutan. "It was my choice to come
to Bhutan," he said, "to the country where I have developed close relationships
since my first visit in 1979."
Mr.
Kuelling said that although both Helvetas and Bhutan had made mistakes in
the past the development relationship was a successful one. "Bhutan has
always been the most successful development partner of Helvetas," he said,
adding that the success story was because of a good leader and stability
in the country. |
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He
pointed out that the development pace in Bhutan was rather too fast. "Bhutan
should go a bit slower because development means changes and people will
have to adapt to it," he said.
Mr.
Kuelling said that creating employment opportunities and development of
the private sector were two key areas of focus during his tenure.
Since
its establishment in July 14, 1975, Helvetas has assisted in areas like
agriculture, animal husbandry, natural resources, forestry and education.
Today the bilateral development programme in Bhutan averages about seven
million Swiss Franc a year.
| contributed
by Karma Choden, Bhutan's national nweswpaper, 2006 |
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