11/12/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 11 December, the European Commission adopted ‘EU4Belarus’, a €24 million aid programme to help the people of Belarus. The programme will focus on four areas of action: support for civil society and independent media, in particular initiatives of local communities and citizens’ groups; support for youth, including a scholarship programme for students and young professionals affected by the political crisis; advisory support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to strengthen their resilience in the context of the current economic downturn; and finally, improving health resilience by strengthening the capacity of Belarusian society to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. This €24 million is part of the €53 million package of aid announced last August. (CG)