Brussels, 13/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 13 March, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), the EIB unit that specialises in relations with the Euro-Med area, signed two letters of intent. One is to lend €500 million to the MEDGAZ gas pipeline project, to carry gas directly from Algeria to Spain to supply Europe. The other is for two loan offers. €70 million will complete the construction of an airport in the region of Enfidha (Tunisia) serving the main tourist areas. The loan will go to the builder, Turkish company TAV Havalimanlari Holding, which is operating under a concession from the Tunisian state. The second loan agreement relating to Tunisia is €130 million for Tunisian Indian Fertilizers to build a phosphoric acid plant for processing into fertiliser. This company is the first joint Tunisian-Indian company. These loans, the EIB says, confirm its growing role in supporting the private sector in the Maghreb. (F.B./transl.rt)