Achievements of Governor Ahn’s Tour to Europe
On the 21st, he flied over to the Netherlands and met with the CEO of Deltares, a research institute of water infrastructure, and the Deputy Governor of Zeeland Province situated in a large river delta in a row and talked about cooperative measures to deal with the ecological issues arising after reclamation. On the 24th, he visited the Wielkopolska Province of Poland to participate in the World Innovation Forum as a special speaker. The governor also addressed the provincial council, celebrating its 10th anniversary of sisterhood relationship between Chungnam and Wielkopolska, and met with Governor Marek Wozniak to discuss measures for mutual cooperation.
Urging for Paradigm Shift in Politics and Administration
Governor’s Europe tour achieved significant results in economic cooperation and peaceful diplomacy. He expanded the base for exchange between Chungnam and Eastern European countries, and strengthened relations with countries that had gone through similar historical hardships as Korea. He also strengthened Chungnam’s images as a province actively responding to change while urging provincial leaders to shift the paradigm of politics and administration.
In his speech at the World Innovation Forum in Wielkopolska, Poland, on 24 September, Governor An said, “The energy policy for the future requires ‘brave politics’ for the future,” stressing, “(we) need to shift the focus of politics from economic growth to sustainable social development.” And in his special remarks to the provincial council of Wielkopolska, he suggested peaceful solidarity, saying, “Both Poland and Korea severely suffered the loss of sovereignty in the 20th Century,” and “Political and democratic leaders of countries should work together to enhance the order of democracy around the world through solidarity.”
Looking for Solutions to Agricultural Issues through Benchmarking
In Steenvoorden, a global floricultural corporation and in a large-scale glasshouse of a floricultural farm, he firsthand observed the successful examples of energy reduction and automation in facility horticulture and thought of how he could graft them into the policy of “Innovation of Three Sectors in Chungnam’s Agricultural Industry.” The Governor also visited Deltares, a research institute developing national policies for flood control and water supply in fresh water lakes and seawalls, and Zeeland, a province carrying out the biggest reclamation project in the Netherlands. He focused there on finding effective measures to enhance water quality and reduce water pollutions with regard to the seawater flow at the mouth of reclaimed lands.