Brussels, 10/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the beginning of this year, Tunisia and Jordan became members of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and are thus now able to be recipients for EBRD support. The two countries applied for membership in 2011, and have now joined the two other countries of the Euro-Mediterranean region, Egypt and Morocco, which were founder members of the bank when it was established in 1991.
The EBRD states in a press release that it has the capacity to invest, in the medium term, up to €2.5 billion a year across the southern and eastern Mediterranean region. The four countries mentioned above are among the main beneficiaries of aid pledged at the recent G8 meeting in Deauville, the press release states.
The EBRD, which was originally for the countries of eastern Europe only, was called upon by the EU, because of its expertise, to manage special support decided in the context of the changes underway on the southern rim, in addition to the traditional support that will continue to be managed by the EIB (European Investment Bank) via its FEMIP structure (Euro-Mediterranean investment and partnership facility). (FB/transl.jl)