AfDB pledges $1.7m to trans-Maghreb railway

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) agreed to offer Tunisia a grant amounting to 3.17 million Tunisian dinars (some USD 1.7 million), Secretary-General of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) Habib Bin Yahiya announced on Friday. "The agreement will be signed soon by the AMU Secretariat and the AfDB," Bin Yahiya told the 15th session of the council of the AMU ministers of transport being held here.
"The funds will be used in financing the feasibility study of the Tunisian section of the planned trans-Maghreb railway," TAP news agency quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, Algerian Minister of Transport Amar Al-Ghoul said his country has met its financial commitments to the ambitious project.
"The 1,200 km long rail road, linking Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, will have great impact on the movement of individuals and goods among our countries," Al-Ghoul affirmed.
In its final statement, the transport ministers council urged enhancing the commercial and maritime cooperation and promoting air transport among the AMU countries.