ADB to allocate $350m for Azerbaijan

The Asian Development Bank plans to allocate $350 million for the development of transport infrastructure in Azerbaijan over the next three years. This was announced in the bank's new strategy of cooperation with Azerbaijan for 2014-2018 approved by the ADB Board on September 30. Expansion of opportunities for the rural population of Azerbaijan is an important aspect of ADB's support and it will have a positive impact on the economic diversification of the country. The involvement of rural roads in the North-South transportation network will make it possible to increase the access of rural population to markets, educational and medical institutions. By 2020, the turnover of goods in Azerbaijan will increase by 25 per cent compared with 2010. This year it amounted to 11,325 million metric tons/kilometers, passenger traffic - 20 per cent (it amounted to 16,633 million passengers/kilometers in 2010). ADB expect the fatalities to be reduced by 25 per cent for every 100,000 people (from 10.3 per cent in 2010 to 7.7 per cent in 2020), according to azernews.az