Awwal 21, 1432 H/Feb 24, 2011, SPA -- The European Investment Bank (EIB) could quickly step up loans to Northern African countries such as Tunisia and Egypt if governments give the green light, Reuters quoted a top official at the European Union's financing arm as saying. "Expanding our mandate in countries where we already operate such as Tunisia and Egypt is a decision that could be made quickly -- if you want you could do this in a few weeks, not months -- and then we could do more there," EIB vice-president Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen told reporters in Vienna. Lending to countries like Libya that are not already EIB partners requires a treaty that would take some time to prepare, he told a news conference on Thursday. EIB President Philippe Maystadt had said on Tuesday that the EIB could lend up to 6 billion euros ($8.25 billion) to southern Mediterranean countries and the Middle East over the next two years if needed. Possible beneficiaries include Algeria, Egypt, Gaza/West Bank, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. If the European Parliament and member states were to agree on a new lending mandate, Libya could in theory be eligible too, he said. -- SPA
