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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Brnabic welcomes flight with medical supplies

Belgrade, 18 April 2020

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic welcomed today at the Belgrade Nikola Tesla airport a flight with medical supplies, which has been organised with the support of the European Union (EU).

Others present at the welcome ceremony were Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi and Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic.

Brnabic expressed gratitude to Ambassador Fabrizi, the EU Delegation to Serbia, Serbia’s partners from the EU and the member states of the EU that donated funds not only for this flight, but also for the major part of the medical supplies brought by it.

The medical supplies include protective masks, contactless thermometers, protective gowns, as well as about 200,000 medical suits that Serbia bought on its own from the state budget for healthcare workers, the Prime Minister specified.

The medical suits will also be distributed to the staff at gerontology centres and other endangered institutions where full protective equipment is necessary.

Brnabic thanked Minister Joksimovic and her team who are working incessantly on providing all the necessary aid and support together with the EU.

Gratitude also goes for the fact that almost €93 million from IPA funds will now be diverted for immediate medical needs, and for approximately €78 million for the recovery of Serbia. This is without counting the assistance which will be coming in as a direct support to the Western Balkans, the Prime Minister underlined.

Fabrizi announced that in the coming days, four more aircraft with medical equipment will arrive in Serbia, whose transport is funded by the EU.

He added that the EU is considering how to further assist Serbia in alleviating economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

The EU responded to Serbia's request for assistance in the fight against COVID-19 and helped in the procurement and delivery of supplies needed by hospitals and doctors, he said, adding that the assistance so far has been reflected in covering transport costs for the delivery of medical supplies and equipment that Serbia has bought from all over the world.

However, the plane that has landed in Belgrade today also contains equipment purchased and donated by the EU to Serbia, the Ambassador explained, specifying that part of this equipment is some 800,000 masks that will be distributed to medical workers.

Fabrizi explained that there will be a total of 15 cargo flights with materials and equipment, the transport of which is paid for by the EU, and recalled that the EU has also paid for the procurement of 100 triage containers, 15 of which have already been set up in front of hospitals across the country.

These containers are manufactured in Serbia and the EU provides the materials.

Fabrizi expressed his full support for all the efforts of the state, medical profession, police and others who have to make difficult decisions, and at the same time wished happy Easter to all believers, with the message that it is necessary to show solidarity and unity, because this is the only way to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.