China has offered the Union of Comoros 1.4 million U.S. dollars in budgetary support to the efforts by the heavily-indebted Indian Ocean islands to overcome consequences of a coup foiled last year.
According to information monitored here, Comoros' Finance Minister Mohamed Ali Soilihi and Chinese Ambassador Tao Weiguang signed the aid program in the capital city of Moroni on Tuesday.
Ambassador Tao said China made the donation when Comoros was in dire need of support to recover from a secessionist rebellion in Anjouan in March 2008.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund unveiled an emergency aid of 3.4 million dollars to country being affected by fuel and food hikes. It also granted the country a loan of 1.7 million dollars to address the post-coup challenges.
The country is composed of Grand Comore, Anjouan and Moheli, covering an area of 2,236 square kilometers and with a population of 780,000. It won independence from France in 1975. The archipelago has witnessed about 20 coups or attempted coups. But now the IMF said the country has begun to concentrate on economic reforms with political tensions declined.
Source: Xinhua
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