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Albania, EBRD to cooperate on sustainable municipal infrastructure

Xinhua, December 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Albanian capital Tirana have agreed to work together to upgrade the city's infrastructure and make it more environment-friendly, local media have reported.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed here Wednesday by EBRD First Vice President Phil Bennett and the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj. In the MoU, both parties list strategic areas of cooperation such as urban transport, urban roads infrastructure, water and wastewater services, solid waste management, street lights and overall improvements in energy efficiency, Albanian Daily News reported.

The EBRD and Tirana will also be working on an action plan designed to address the global climate change challenges, according to the report.

Phil Bennet said the EBRD would "strongly support Tirana's drive to becoming a green capital."

Veliaj said: "This is a very important step for our city. We are pleased to have the EBRD's backing in this crucial undertaking. "

"The implementation of sustainable and environmentally friendly projects will help in creating a reliable and sustainable municipal environment which will stimulate the capital's economic growth, improve living conditions for many citizens of Tirana and make a positive contribution to the Green Economy," Veliaj added.

In particular, the EBRD will be supporting project preparation, institutional development and training, helping with project implementation and procurement, as well as assessing energy efficiency of street lights and building in the Albanian capital.

Since the start of its operations in Albania, the EBRD has invested almost 1 billion euros(1.06 billion U.S. dollars) in some 70 projects in various sectors of the country's economy. Enditem