Press Release

OFID hosts Colombian Vice-President
Santos and OFID reviewed building stronger ties

 

49/2006 May 17, 2006, Vienna, Austria
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Mr. Jamal Nasser Lootah, Chairman of the Governing Board of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), and Mr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, OFID Director-General, were honored last week to receive HE Mr. Francisco Santos Calderón, Vice-President of Colombia, along with his delegation.

Mr. Lootah expressed his thanks to Mr. Santos for taking time from his “hectic agenda” to visit OFID, especially since the Vice-President was in Vienna to represent his country on the occasion of the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, which took place on May 12.

After being briefed on OFID’s activities, discussions followed pertaining to the status of approved projects with Colombia. The Vice-President stated that it was a pleasure to be invited to OFID’s headquarters, “where solidarity of its Member Countries” has enabled resources to be distributed among disadvantaged countries. He spoke of his visit to OFID in December 2005, where discussions took place relating to strengthening ties and boosting cooperation, a “successful occasion” that initiated his second visit. Mr. Santos was pleased to be given the opportunity to witness the signing of a US$10 million loan agreement to co-finance a project aimed at enhancing the coverage, quality and pertinence of tertiary education in the country. “On behalf of thousands of young Colombians that will benefit from this loan,” the Vice President thanked OFID for supporting this project.

The agreement, which was signed by HE Rosso José Serrano Cadena, Ambassador of Colombia to Austria, represents the first loan to the country. OFID has also approved a loan in the transportation sector, and has also benefited from an emergency assistance grant.