It has been exactly 240 days since the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus pandemic. In this past period, solidarity and assistance from EU, NATO, Norway, Germany, Turkey, Austria, China, the US and other countries has played an important role for our country to be able to deal with Covid – 19 more easily.
NATO donated assistance of 1.4 million euros, with the assistance for North Macedonia in dealing with the Covid – 19 was being announced by Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg.
German Ambassador to North Macedonia, Anke Holstein, signed agreements for donations to four hospitals in the country in the amount of over 150.000 euros.
US Ambassador, H.E. Kate Marie Byrnes, handed over a donation to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of North Macedonia, from the United States of America, provided by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The donation worth 35,000 US Dollars is intended as support for reducing the spread of Covid-19. The US Ambassador also donated to the Ministry of Interior.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the EU has provided urgent medical assistance for North Macedonia worth four million euros, which also includes the much-needed respirators. Furthermore, the EU provided 160 million euros macro-financial assistance in the form of long-term loans with favourable terms. The first tranche of 80 million euros was paid at the beginning of this month. Previously, the EU provided 3 million euros direct budget support for the labour and education sector. Significant assistance for companies and the labour market (49 million euros in the form of grants and interest-free loans) will be available by the end of the month.
Chinese Ambassador to North Macedonia, Zhang Zhuo, donated 310 computer tablets intended for students who do not have means to follow the teaching online. The tablets were donated to the Municipality of Gazi Baba. Moreover, in this recent period other assistance has also arrived from China.
Turkey delivered assistance to North Macedonia in medical supplies for coping with the coronavirus. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency – TIKA donated assistance for kindergartens and primary schools in North Macedonia.
At the beginning of the pandemic, during the time our country had a technical government, 4 domestic companies: “Mega Kumanovo”, “Golden Art”, “Acustik” and “Greemak” donated 85 respirators and 25 oxygen concentrators.
Bulgarian diplomats donated medical equipment for the Bitola hospital.
These are just some of the steps for mitigating the socio-economic crisis that has recently affected our country. Our capital city was at one time declared a city of solidarity. Let’s try to keep at least that reputation! It’s time for solidarity, not for political party quarrels!
text and editing: Dehran Muratov
translation: N. Cvetkovska
