2 Korean firms win bid to supply medicine to NATO procurement agency

SEOUL, June 4 (Yonhap) -- Two South Korean firms have won a bid, worth 1 million euros (US$1.12 million), to supply medicine for a project run by the procurement agency of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The companies, whose names were withheld, will ship a set of their pharmaceutical products to the NATO-run Afghanistan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund, which was established in 2006 to provide financial support to the Middle East country's security forces.

It is the first time that Korean firms have won a procurement contract with the NATO agency, the ministry noted, voicing hope that the successful bid would help Korean businesses strengthen their foothold in such international markets.

"The foreign ministry will continue efforts to support our companies seeking to advance into procurement markets of NATO and other international organizations," the ministry said in a press release.

To help foster peace in conflict-laden Afghanistan, South Korea has also made financial contributions to the ANA Trust Fund.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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