Iran to construct $16 million water treatment plant in Sudan

Note this copy of a report from Tehran dated Oct 1, 2005 - via SudanTribune:

An Iranian private company is to build second water treatment plant in Sudan at the cost of 16 million dollars garanted by a public financement institution.

The agreement was finalized after the Export Development Bank of Iran (EDBI) approved the credit facility for the project under the risk coverage of Export Guarantee Fund of Iran (EGFI), The Iranian Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported.

EDBI offers 85 percent of total cost on a five-year repayment plan. The project commissioner of this plan, like the first one, is Kian Ab Company and the plant is expected to supply over 50,000 cubic meters of potable water to 120,000 households in Atbara, Sudan.

The first water treatment plant is to cover Jebel-Awlia area, near Khartoum.

According to MNA, the executive director of EDBI Noruz Kahzadi and Abdallah Khadir Bashir, Sudan's ambassador to Iran, signed the agreement in a ceremony held in Tehran.

Bashir considered these projects of paramount importance for developing Sudan's infrastructure and conveyed his country's interest in expanding economic ties with Iran.

"Such cooperation deepens and strengthens solidarity between Iran and Sudan in all spheres of activities," the report quoted him as saying.

Relations between Iran and Sudan is based on the principle of consolidation of ties and unity among Islamic countries to help preserve the independence of Muslims round the world which should be considered as a significant pole in globalization procedures.

In the past, many reports mentioned the role ponderant role played by Iran in the training of the Sudanese regime militia and the financement of miltary contracts conclued by Sudan.

Sudanese President pledged to Khatimi his country's support for Iran's right to possess and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and praised the way in which Iran is handling the question.

The visit of the Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Sudan in October 2004 constitute an turning point in bilateral ties.