Georgia receives GEL1.5 billion from the EU
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, December 14
According to the EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, in the event of a pandemic, Georgia received GEL1.5 billion in assistance directly from the EU and European financial institutions. According to Hartzell, 2/3 of this amount is a direct grant for Georgia, and half a billion GEL is a soft loan.
According to the EU Ambassador, the sum will be spent on the fight against the virus and mitigating the effects of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
“The European Union and Team Europe were able to mobilize about 1.5 billion GEL to help Georgia fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 2/3 of this amount is presented as a grant, and the rest - as a soft loan,” said Hartzell.
The EU Delegation published an interview with the EU Ambassador about assistance to Georgia. Carl Hartzell notes that the assistance provided by the European Union in the fight against the pandemic in Georgia is not limited to finances and the country has also received medical equipment.
“I can proudly say that this is one of the highest rates of EU assistance to any foreign country in the world, which reflects the EU's strong solidarity with Georgia in the current crisis,” the EU Ambassador added.
According to Hartzell, in addition to the GEL1.5 billion in financial assistance received from the EU in the event of a pandemic, Georgia also received medical and personal protection equipment.
The ambassador has also noted that Georgia has already received more than 2 million units of personal protective equipment, as well as medical equipment, including respirators and other equipment. According to the ambassador, another aid package will arrive in Georgia before the end of this year.
“We try to help people directly on the front lines of the pandemic. Our assistance is distributed to 9 laboratories in Georgia, the Emergency Coordination and Emergency Care Center, as well as more than 4,000 ambulance crew drivers and doctors, to assist them in their duties. In addition, we provide training on safe working rules, stress management, and other similar issues, which is very important,” noted the ambassador.
