EU, Mozambique sign 240 mln USD financing agreements

MAPUTO, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Union and Mozambique signed four agreements here on Thursday totalling 217 million euros (more than 240 million U.S. dollars) to support the southeast African country's trade, biodiversity, agribusiness and transport.

The funding is part of the National Indicative Program from the European Development Fund for the period 2014-2020 to support Mozambique's priority areas in its 2015-2019 governance plan, Mozambican foreign minister Jose Pacheco said at the signing ceremony.

"This funding aims at promoting and facilitating trade, sustainable natural resources management, sustainable agriculture and agribusiness, and rehabilitating roads in rural areas," he said.

Stefano Manservisi, the European Commission's director-general for international cooperation and development, said the European Union "has always worked in close partnership with Mozambique."

"We reiterate our commitment to boosting this cooperation for more inclusive and sustainable growth," Manservisi said after the signing ceremony.