Coronavirus: EU channels further assistance to Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus

This week, an Emergency Medical Team of 10 doctors and nurses from Italy are preparing their mission to Armenia, via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. They will provide further assistance in addition to last week’s deployed medical experts from Lithuania. In addition, in response to requests for assistance under the Mechanism, Poland has offered disinfectant, surgical masks, face shields and other personal protective equipment items to Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. This support comes on top of protective equipment and other items sent by Slovakia to Ukraine and by Estonia to Georgia in May 2020. The EU coordinates and co-finances both the transport of the medical experts to Armenia, as well as the delivery of the in-kind assistance to Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. Furthermore, the EU is also coordinating the offer of protective facemasks and other essential equipment from Denmark to Georgia. Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management, said: “I am grateful to Italy, Poland and Denmark for their generosity towards our neighbours. The virus knows no borders, but neither does European solidarity”.The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has already coordinated the delivery of assistance to 17 countries during this pandemic.