Bulgarian PM offers condolences, aid to Croatia after earthquake
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva have expressed condolences to their Croatian counterparts after a strong earthquake hit the country on December 29, killing at least seven people and causing major property damage.
“I want to express my sincere condolences to the close ones of those who perished in the earthquake. All of Bulgaria shares the tragedy of the Croatian people and we hope for the speedy recovery of those,” Borissov told Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic in a phone conversation, according to a statement by the Bulgarian government’s media office on December 30.
Borissov also said Bulgaria was ready to assist with recovery efforts: “We are prepared to help our friend Croatia. It is at moments like this that we must stand united in solidarity.”
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said on December 30 that the Bulgarian Cabinet has approved 100 000 euro in initial aid for Croatia to assist in its recovery efforts.
That aid will be directed towards two educational institutions in capital Zagreb – the Gornjogradska Gimnazija high school and Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which have historical links to Bulgaria dating back to the second half of the 19th century, the ministry said.
The foreign ministry said that given the urgent need for drinking water in Croatia, it was assisting with the organisation of emergency deliveries from Bulgarian producers.
The first deliveries to the Bulgarian Red Cross warehouses were expected at the weekend, from where the supplies would be shipped by lorry to Croatia, the ministry said.
(Prime Minister Boiko Borissov photo: government.bg)
Please support independent journalism by clicking on the orange button below. For as little as three euro a month or the equivalent in other currencies, you can support The Sofia Globe via patreon.com and get access to exclusive subscriber-only content:
