The European Commission has announced the immediate release of 38 million euros in aid to the Western Balkans to tackle the health crisis and the relocation of 374m euros in aid to tackle socio-economic consequences.
The announcement came from EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, who said “the EU will always be here for the Western Balkans”.
“We will help our partners meet the urgent needs of health systems and promote long-term measures to mitigate the socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis and support small and medium-sized enterprises in the region,” said Várhelyi.
In particular, the European Commission says that at the request of the countries of the region it will support the most urgent demand for medical and protective equipment.
Albania and Macedonia will each receive four million euros, Bosnia and Herzegovina seven million euros, Montenegro three million euros, Kosovo five euros and 15 million euros are allotted to Serbia, where the damage is currently the highest, the European Commission says.
