EU allocates Euro183 million to Georgia
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Friday, April 10
On April 8th, the European Commission and the EU High Representative announced that they will set out plans for a robust and targeted EU response to support partner countries' efforts in tackling the Coronavirus pandemic.
As for the Eastern Neighbourhood region, the EU will provide Euro80 million of immediate and Euro883 million of short-term support to EaP countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to respond to the COVID19 outbreak.
“The EU's response follows a ‘Team Europe' approach, aimed at saving lives by providing quick and targeted support to our partners to face this pandemic. It combines resources from the EU’s Member States and financial institutions, in particular the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, to support partner countries and address their short-term needs, as well as the longer-term structural impacts on societies and the economy. The first Team Europe packages are already being implemented in the immediate region: the Western Balkans, in the East and to the South.”
The EU is securing in total Euro3.07 billion for the whole region – Euro2.1 billion for the South and Euro962 million for the Eastern Partner countries – and Euro800 million for the Western Balkans and Turkey.
Oliver Varhelyi, Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner, said: “We share a continent and we can only succeed together”, adding that funds will be used for urgent response to the health crisis, to strengthen the health systems and to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the pandemic.
Moreover, the Visegrad Four (V4) will establish a Solidarity Program to assist members of the Eastern Partnership in the fight against COVID-19 and to support these former Soviet republics so that they can gradually gain access to the EU's internal market.
In a joint statement issued on April 8 by the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia on the future of the EaP, the quartet said they would implement the "Visegrad Four Emergency Program for Eastern Partnership Countries" within the framework of the Visegrad International Foundation. The program will have a simplified procedure and aim to "strengthen health, social and economic resilience in the EaP countries affected by COVID-19 and its consequences."
The statement was in response to a European Commission report last month on the Eastern Partnership.
The Visegrad Four statement did not call for future EU membership, but said: "Political association and economic integration of Eastern partners remains our main goal."
The four also support "the gradual access of our partners to the EU's internal market to the level of mutual benefit for our partners and EU member states."
The Visegrad Four statement will be part of a debate on the Eastern Partnership, which will be held by EU foreign ministers in late April. It will also focus on the Eastern Partnership Summit, scheduled for June 18th in Brussels, but may be postponed due to a pandemic.
Yesterday, the delegation of the EU to Georgia published an open letter, in which international partners and donor organisations reaffirm their support to the Georgian government and population.
Through this letter, the organisations are expressing readiness to support Georgia financially due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
They also praised the efforts of georgian authorities and stakeholders across the public and private sectors and the resilient and cooperative response of the georgian people.
The letter also notes that the support schemes for business and vulnerable groups have been initiated and recovery plans are being designed.
“Fiscal prudence and the buildup of reserves in recent years make the Georgian economy better prepared to address the economic impact of the crisis.” - reads the letter, emphasising the legacy of “structural reform achievements.”
Authors of the letter claim they are working together to ensure rapid support to Georgia and are currently discussing a substantial financial relief package to help the authorities respond effectively to this unprecedented crisis.
"As Georgia’s Coat of Arms so appropriately puts it, there is truly ‘strength in unity’! “ the letter reads.
The letter is signed by International Monetary Fund rep, Ambassadors of France, Germany and EU to Georgia, Head of Regional Representation for the South Caucasus European Investment Bank, Regional Director of Caucasus EBRD, Regional Director for the South Caucasus World Bank, Country Director for Georgia ADB, Supee Teravaninthorn Director General, Investment Operations Department - Region II Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
