Try 
            'conn.Open() 
            Dim cmd As New OleDbCommand("SELECT ID, country FROM Identification_data", objConnection) 
            Dim dr As OleDbDataReader = cmd.ExecuteReader 
            Dim amends as New Dictionary(Of Integer, String) 'system.collections.generics namespace

            While dr.Read 
                Dim bits() as String = sortedList.Split(","c)
                Array.Sort(bits)

                Dim id as Integer = DirectCast(dr("id"), Integer)
                amends(id) = String.Join(",", bits)
            End While 
            dr.Close() 

            Dim updCmd As New OleDbCommand("UPDATE identification_data SET country = ? WHERE id= ?", objConnection) 
            'dummy parameters of the correct type (string, int)
            updCmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("ct", "Dummy String")
            updCmd.Parameters.AddWithValue("id", 0)
            
   
            ForEach i As Integer In amends.Keys

                updCmd.Parameters("id").Value = i
                updCmd.Parameters("ct").Value = amends(i)

                updCmd.ExecuteNonQuery() 

            Next 
        Catch ex As Exception 
            MsgBox("LLLL") 
            MessageBox.Show(ex.Message) 
        Finally 
            objConnection.Close() 
            MsgBox("END") 
        End Try