Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 20
By Azad Hasanli - Trend:
A World Bank mission will arrive in Baku to review the progress of implementing the Azerbaijan Water Users Associations Development Support Project (WUAP) October 22, a WB representative office in Azerbaijan told Trend Oct. 20.
The mission will be in Baku until Octo. 25, a WB representative office said.
An observation mission is led by project manager David Meerbach.
An opportunity of providing additional funding is being discussed as part of the visits. This is specified after the new strategy of cooperation with Azerbaijan.
"Depending on the cooperation areas, which will be set in the new strategy, a process of negotiations in connection with the expansion of the project and covering new areas is being intensified," the bank said. "WUAP will be implemented in a year."
The Azerbaijani government and the World Bank signed a loan agreement to allocate $80 million for WUAP in October 2011. Around 76.8 million of the total amount of the loan is allocated through the International Development Association (IDA) and $3.2 million by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The government's share in the project amounts to $34.3 million. The total project cost is $114.3 million.
The project funded by the World Bank is expected to contribute to the rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage networks and the formation of potential to increase the productivity of 760,000 small farms located in 27 regions of Azerbaijan.