The EU will help Bosnia and Herzegovina to procure medical equipment and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the EU delegation in the country announced on Monday 23 March.
According to the delegation, the EU is considering rapid support in the form of medical equipment worth €7 million.
"We are in contact with the UNDP/WHO on the list of priority medical equipment that could be procured rapidly", explained EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Johann Sattler.
"We are also preparing for releasing resources of up to €5 million for the same purpose to be available at a later stage, once Bosnia and Herzegovina countersigns the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance 2020 Financing Agreement", he added.
EU support of €50 million for economic development programmes could also be adjusted in the medium term and implemented. It will work to adjust the ongoing and planned programmes, including those targeting businesses, agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises, to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on the Bosnian economy, the delegation said in its statement.
In addition, a Commission spokeswoman said the EU had already donated €7.5 million to Serbia and €5 million to Kosovo to help them deal with COVID-19. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)