China and Mali strengthen cooperation

30 September 2010

China has granted Mali a loan of over 149 million dollars to renovate the Bamako-Ségou road.

The signature of the preferential loan agreement took place on Monday, 27 September 2010, at the offices of the Foreign Ministry.

The works include the construction of a new two-lane road, as well as the extension and renovation of the existing road.

Finance Minister Sanoussi Touré declared to the newspaper L'Indépendant that this project will enable traffic to flow more freely, promote the development of the region and reduce transport costs.

"Loans and grants awarded (by China) from 1967 to date have enabled the construction of infrastructures, among them the very first industrial units, State-run companies and enterprises", the Foreign Ministry declared in a press release.

A number of projects are currently underway with the aid of the cooperation between the two states, for example the construction of a third bridge at Bamako.

Category: Transport