Monday's document signed between Mozambican Finance Minister Manuel Chang and French Ambassador Thierry Viteau, extends for a further two years, until 2009, the initial agreement, known as C2D, that was for the period 2005-2007.
Viteau said at the ceremony that C2D represents a supplementary effort on the part of the French government to completely cancel the bilateral debt of Mozambique, as part of complementary measures in the context of debt relief to the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC).
Under this debt-for-development deal, for the period 2005/07, C2D made available 21.5 million Euros (about 28.4 million US dollars) to be used in projects of the Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty (PARPA).
This two year extension will provide a further 8.8 million Euros for other projects. These include a Health programme in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, support for the national HIV/AIDS programme, support for a micro-finance structure, and a direct contribution to the state budget.
Viteau added that this gesture of the French government "is a proof of the sound cooperation relations between the two countries and confirms the wish of the French government to continue supporting the Mozambican government in reducing poverty".
SOURCE: AIM
