EU provides hundreds of millions to Western Balkans, Eastern Partners, in fight against Covid-19
As part of the global response to the coronavirus outbreak, the European Commission has announced up to 38 million euro in immediate support for the Western Balkans to tackle the health emergency and reallocation of 374 million euro from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance to help the socio-economic recovery of the region, the Commission said on March 30.
As a result, the EU will assist Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia, to cover their immediate needs in medical devices and personal equipment, such as ventilators, laboratory kits, masks, goggles, gowns, and safety suits, and support their recovery.
For the Eastern Partner countries, the European Commission has reallocated 140 million euro for the most immediate needs in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine, as part of the global response to the coronavirus outbreak.
In addition, the Commission will also redirect the use of existing instruments worth up to 700 million euro to help mitigate the socio-economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.
The funds will support the supply of medical devices and personal equipment, such as ventilators, laboratory kits, masks, goggles, gowns, and safety suits. They will also train laboratory staff and reinforce credit lines and liquidity to SMEs, the Commission said.
(Photo: Sébastien Bertrand)
