H.E. Mr. Abdelaziz KHELEF, Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), arrived Wednesday 04/07/2007, at Lome capital of the Togolese Republic, as part of a regional visit to the Republics of Ghana, Togo and Benin from 01/07/2007 to 11/07/2007.

During his visit to Togo, he will be received by H.E. the President of the Republic, H.E. the Minister of Finance, Budget and Privatization, H.E. the Minister of Economics and Development and by H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, Animal and Fishing, and other high-ranking government officials.

Talks will cover areas of cooperation between Togo and BADEA, with the objective of exploring the best means to promote and develop the relations and realize the objectives of development in Togo.

During the his visit to Togo the Director General of BADEA will visit the Headquarters of West African Development Bank (BOAD), and ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). 

By the end of June 2007, BADEA's assistance to Togo reached the sum of US $ 33.415 million to finance 13 development operations.

BADEA’s financing operations have grown since 1975, to reach US $ 3315.982 million by end of June 2007, and have been earmarked to finance 421 development projects, 396 technical assistance operations, 26 loans for the private sector and 14 special operations (in the context of Emergency Aid Programme operations for the benefit of several African countries effected by drought and desertification).

BADEA’s operations cover all 43 eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to a number of regional organizations. They cover infrastructure, agriculture, rural development, energy, industry, social and financial sector in the form of project loans and technical assistance grants.

The projects selected by BADEA are directed towards improving the living conditions of the target beneficiaries, particularly those projects related to rural development and environment, such as rural water supply and sewage, or those aiming at reducing negative impact of drought and desertification, and reducing poverty. This is obviously in line with current approaches to development.