The construction of an international airport with over 60 million birr (6.91 million U.S. dollars) allocated by the Ethiopian government was well underway in the eastern border town Jijiga, capital of the Somali state, officials said.

Project coordinator Million Getachew told journalists on Tuesday that the airport, being constructed on 53 hectares of land at an area 12 km away from Jijiga, was expected to be finalized in 20 months.

The coordinator said the work on the construction of the airport was launched in May 2005.

He said the construction has created jobs to over 200 people living in the area.

The coordinator said the airport would enable pastoralists in the state to export animal products and generate foreign currency, which would help them improve their livelihood.

Jijiga is a city in eastern Ethiopia, located approximately 60 km west of the border with north Somalia's Somaliland. The market town is home to a population of around 60,000 people. It is known for incense production.

Source: Xinhua