Coronavirus: President supports EU aid for West Balkans

President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday expressed support with the EU decision to provide assistance to the West Balkans to fight the coronavirus and help them recover financially.

Anastasiades was taking part through teleconference in an EU-West Balkan summit.

According to a statement by government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos, Anastasiades said tackling Covid-19 jointly by the EU and the West Balkans proved that the cooperation was fully beneficial and effective and should continue during the recovery period.

“The president expressed support for the EU actions to provide assistance to the West Balkans to fight Covid-19 as well as during the recovery period through a financial and investment plan worth over €3.3bn,” the statement said.

The aims of the summit, among others, are to highlight the EU’s interest and support for the region, the expression of solidarity in tackling the pandemic, as well as to reaffirm their European prospects and encourage reforms.

The summit will conclude with the adoption of the Zagreb Declaration.

Apart from the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout, the declaration will also refer to other issues including regional cooperation, environmental policy, security, energy, and transport.

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.