A loan agreement was on Friday signed in Banjul between the Republic of The Gambia and Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development. The Fund will provide a loan of 3,100,000 Kuwaiti Dinars, equivalent to about US$10,850,000, to assist in the financing of the Banjul international Airport Improvement Project (Phase II).

The loan agreement was signed on behalf of the Republic of The Gambia by Honourable Mousa Gibril Bala-Gaye, Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs and by Mr. Hamad S. Al-Omar, Deputy Director-General of the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development on behalf of the Fund.

The project aims at satisfying the increase in passenger and cargo traffic at BanjulInternationalAirport, and to further ensure its safety. Aimed at improving the operational standards of the airport, the project consists of rehabilitation and expansion of the existing apron, construction of two new taxiways and a building for fire and ambulance services, rehabilitation of the existing terminal building and the control tower, supply and installation of navigation systems, signs, pavement marking and apron lighting, fire rescue vehicle, in addition to consultancy services for the supervision of construction works.

The total cost of the project is estimated at about 776.66 million Dalasis, equivalent to about 10.1 million Kuwaiti Dinars of which the Fund’s loan covers about 31%. The main co-financing are the Saudi Fund and the OPEC Fund. The project is expected to be completed by mid 2010.

By concluding this agreement, the Fund would have provided to the Republic of The Gambia nine loans totalling about 22.8 million Kuwaiti Dinars, equivalent to about 79.8 million US Dollars, to finance projects in various sectors, in addition to five technical assistance grant and totalling about 770,000 Kuwaiti Dinars, equivalent to about 2.7 million US Dollars.

The Gambia Cycling Association in collaboration with the Senegalese Cycling Association are set to stage an international cycling race that will gather cyclists from the two sister nations.

The Grand Prix which is dubbed Senegalese - Gambian Friendship and to be hosted in the country between February 16 and 18, will attract fifty cyclists - the biggest ever cycling competition in the history of both associations.

To ensure that the Grand Prix is a success, two Senegalese Cyclist experts are in the country holding  talks with their Gambian counterparts.

Speaking to journalists, the visitors which include Micheal Thiob, Director Cycling Tour in Senegal, said fifteen Gambian cyclists will join thirty Senegalese cyclists in Dakar where the race will commence towards Banjul between.

The marathon race, according to them, will be in three stages, where the first stage will cover a distance of 192 KM (from Dakar to Kaolack). The second stage will cover a distance of 100 km before the cyclists run for another 60 km in the final stage.

The Senegal duo said the competition will mark a new era of sports integration and cooperation between the two sister nations. They emphasised the need for the two countries to collaborate in all sectors of development, more specially sports.

Bai Ndongo Faal of Gamstar who doubles as Chief Patron of The Gambia Cycling Association, hailed the initiative noting that the event will not only promote sports but also maintain the cordial relations that exist between the two nations.

Faal appealed to the private sector to come and put their weight behind the association to ensure a successful event.

The President of The Gambia Cyclist Association, Abdoulie Touray, believes the Grand Prix will go a long way in rekindling public interest in the trade that has been dormant in recent years.

President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh returned to Banjul on Sunday, November 9 after a five-day working visit to the Republic of Taiwan.

President Jammeh was accompanied by senior government officials, including the Foreign Affairs Secretary of State Crispin Grey-Johnson.

Vice President Aja Dr Isatou Njie, the speaker of the National Assembly and the chief justice of The Gambia, received the Gambian leader upon his arrival, after a 20-hour long flight from the Asian-Pacific island state. Secretariesof state, security chiefs, and other dignitaries, were also at the Banjul International Airport to receive the president.

During his state visit, President Jammeh met his Taiwanese counterpart, President Chen Shui-bian at the Presidential Office in Taipei, where they discussed issues revolving around bilateral relations.

President Chen, who hosted a reception for President Jammeh at Taipei 101, which is the tallest building in the world, accompanied President Jammeh on a speed train journey to Taichung.

The president also held a meeting with the community of Gambian students, together with members of his delegation, during which he advised them to remain steadfast in their programmes of study and be ready to serve the counry at the end of their studies.