At the initiative of the Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov, the Western Balkans foreign
ministers sent a letter on Thursday to the European Commission with a request to
exclude the region from the EU regulation by which certain medical/personal
protective products were placed under the regime of export restrictions or special
export licenses.
The letter has been sent to the EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, European
Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Oliver
Várhelyi and High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, Foreign Ministry said
in a press release.
“Coronavirus has spread across European continent, and solidarity and cooperation
are needed to overcome this common threat. Given that healthcare workers are at
the frontlines in the fight against coronavirus, we all must ensure that they have
enough personal protective equipment at all times. Therefore, we, the partners from
the region, have united and urgently suggest to the European Commission in the
proposal for revision of the current regulation to include the exemption our region
from the need for special export permits,” the letter reads.
It is added that the Western Balkans is part of Europe, surrounded by EU member
states, and that the exemption will send a strong signal that all of us as Europeans
are working together to successfully face and overcome this enormous challenge.
