H. E. Mr. Abdelaziz KHELEF, Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) will arrive on Friday 11th April 2008, at Freetown, capital of the Republic of Sierra Leone, as part of a regional visit to the Republics of Cape Verde, Senegal, and Guinea during the period 11 to 21 April 2008.

During his visit to the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Director General is scheduled to have an audience with H.E. the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and with Honourable the Minister of Finance and other high-ranking officials.
Talks will focus on mutual cooperation between the Republic of Sierra Leone and BADEA and exploring the various means of promoting and developing this cooperation and realizing its objectives. 

In this regard, BADEA will sign an agreement of US $ 9.8 million dollars to contribute to debt relief of the Republic of Sierra Leone in the framework of HIPC initiative.
The Director General will also take this opportunity to visit some projects financed by BADEA in the Republic of Sierra Leone. 

By the end of March 2008, BADEA’s assistance to Sierra Leone reached US $ 65.33 million to participate in financing 14 development projects. 

BADEA’s financing operations have expanded since 1975, reaching US $ 3439.237 million by end of March 2008. The allocations have been earmarked to finance 436 development projects, 416 technical assistance operations, 30 loans for the private sector, including 19 Lines of Credits.
BADEA’s commitments to the technical assistance operations reached, during the same period, US $ 99.373. million dollar, until end of March 2008 earmarked to finance feasibility studies and institutional support activities. 

BADEA’s operations cover all the 43 eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to a number of regional organizations. The operations cover infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, rural water, electricity, rural roads, animal and fish production, energy, industry, social and the banking sector over and above technical assistance operations. 
The projects selected by BADEA are those, which are directed towards improving the living conditions of the people and easing the pressure on them and reducing poverty, 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. This is obviously in line with current approaches to development.