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LequteMan
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The European Union on Monday signed a development grant with Ethiopia worth 212.4 million euros to help finance road construction and projects targeting maternal health and drought resilience.
Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous country after Nigeria, and is midway through a five-year economic plan that foresees almost tripling the country's road network and beginning the building of 5,000 km of new railway lines.
"Expanding and upgrading the road network is playing a central role in the country's economic development, notably in improving access for the rural population to markets and basic service," Andris Piebalgs, the EU's Commissioner for Development, said at the signing ceremony.
The package includes 49 million euros earmarked for road building.
Another 50 million euros will be to help fight the effects of drought in the country's arid south and east and 40.4 million euros will go to improving maternal health.
Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous country after Nigeria, and is midway through a five-year economic plan that foresees almost tripling the country's road network and beginning the building of 5,000 km of new railway lines.
"Expanding and upgrading the road network is playing a central role in the country's economic development, notably in improving access for the rural population to markets and basic service," Andris Piebalgs, the EU's Commissioner for Development, said at the signing ceremony.
The package includes 49 million euros earmarked for road building.
Another 50 million euros will be to help fight the effects of drought in the country's arid south and east and 40.4 million euros will go to improving maternal health.