President Plevneliev: Bulgaria to provide aid to Georgia to cope with flood aftermath
Bulgaria will provide material and financial support to Georgia to overcome the consequences of the catastrophic flooding in the capital Tbilisi on June 13, President Rossen Plevneliev said at a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili.
Plevneliev was on a scheduled two-day visit to Georgia starting on June 17, the first visit by a Bulgarian head of state to Georgia in 15 years.
The Bulgarian President expressed deep condolences regarding the victims of the tragedy in the Georgian capital.
“We are with the people of Georgia at a time when a natural disaster has destroyed innocent lives. A year ago we had a similar situation in Bulgaria, flooding killed dozens of people and caused enormous material damage. Now we see the same in Tbilisi and will help Georgia as a good friend to recover as quickly as possible,” Plevneliev said.
His visit to the capital coincided with news that a tiger, one of several animals that escaped from Tbilisi zoo because of the floods, had killed a man in the capital city. Hundreds of creatures drowned when the zoo was swamped by floodwater, while many others escaped, the BBC reported.
On June 16, the European Commission said that it would make additional funds available to help the Georgian authorities deal with the most immediate consequences.
Up to three million euro will be made available to help provide durable housing solutions following the damage. This assistance of the Commission will be delivered through budget support.
The European Commission is also providing 400 000 euro in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected families. This funding will support the Georgian Red Cross and NGOs in delivering relief, including food, household items such as blankets and cooking kits, water, sanitation and hygiene and medical support.
