Brussels, 10/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) granted a loan of EUR 34 million to the Slovakian Republic to adapt a road to the expressway standard. Main lender of funds to support projects relating to the transport sector in the accession candidate countries, the EIB has lent 350 million to Slovakia in this sector. In total, Slovakia has received funding from the EIB totalling EUR 1.2 billion aimed at projects concerning, among others, telecommunications networks, the renovation of power stations, the upgrading of the gas pipeline.
At present, the EIB loans in the ten accession candidate Central and Eastern European countries are in the region of EUR 14 billion: Poland (3.8 billion), Czech Republic (2.5), Hungary (1.7), Romania (2.3), Slovakia (1.2), Bulgaria (859 million), Slovenia (775 million), Lithuania (242 million), Latvia (203 million) and Estonia (165 million).