Chinese Government provides RMB 300 million grant — via ETCA — for Plaza Madrid Interchange Construction Project (Linked to Project ID#56929)

On January 16, 2018, the Chinese Government and the Government of Mauritania signed an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which committed RMB 300 million ($42.3 million) of grant funding for the Plaza Madrid Interchange Construction Project and the Nouakchott Oumtousy International Airport Security Equipment Acquisition Project (see Project ID#56929). According to the Government of Mauritania’s Ministry of Economy, the total value of the Chinese Government’s grant commitment for the Plaza Madrid Interchange Construction Project is RMB 300 million, which suggests that the funds for the project were drawn from multiple ETCAs (including but not limited to the one that was signed on January 16, 2018). The purpose of the project is to construct an overpass at Madrid Square (also known as the Madrid Plaza, Rond-Point de Madrid, and دوار مدريد) in the capital city of Nouakchott. Madrid Square is one of the most congested parts of the road network in Nouakchott. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is the contractor responsible for implementation. On April 16, 2019, Mauritania’s Minister of Equipment and Transportation, Rahabibra Habib, met with the Chinese Ambassador to Mauritania, Zhang Jianguo, met to discuss the project. Then, on October 24, 2021, a team of 11 Chinese and Mauritanian experts were dispatched to undertake 3 months of preparatory work on the project. A project implementation agreement was signed by the Chinese Government and the Government of Mauritania on December 3, 2021.

Additional details

1. This project is also known as the Madrid Overpass Project, the Friendship Interchange Project, and the Madrid Square Interchange Project in Nouakchott. The Chinese project title is 援毛里塔尼亚努瓦克肖特立交桥项目 or 毛里塔尼亚努瓦克肖特立交桥项目 or 马德里环岛立交桥. The French project title is Construction d'un échangeur au Carrefour Madrid or Le projet de construire un échangeur à la place Madrid à Nouakchott or Le projet de construire un échangeur à la place Madrid à Nouakchott. 2. The Government of Mauritania’s Ministry of Economy identifies the face value of the grant for this project as RMB 300 million (see https://www.dropbox.com/s/jgerp6n9uuu977h/pip2019-2021_global.xls?dl=0).

Number of official sources

12

Number of total sources

21