IFAD shifts Yemen's loans to gifts

SANA'A, Nov. 18 (Saba) - International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) approved on Tuesday shifting the development
assistance of Yemeni agricultural projects for 2009 from loans to
gifts.

This announcement took place during a meeting gathered IFAD regional
director Omar Dhefar with Minister of Planning and International
Cooperation Abdul Karim al-Arhabi here in Sana'a.

Dhefar pointed out that the Fund has allocated $ 23 million for
agricultural development projects in Yemen and is studying the
possibilities of raising this amount in future.

For his part, al-Arhabi expressed the government's appreciation of
IFAD's supports in agricultural development field and its desire to
develop the mutual cooperation between the fund and the country.

The meeting also reviewed the implementation progress of the
IFAD-funded projects in Yemen.