Minister Xhaçka brings together the Ambassadors of the European Union: Thank you for supporting us

Published: Friday, 15 December 2017 13:38

At the Center for the Reception and Administration of Aids regarding the recent floods at Support Command, the first aids from abroad have started to arrive. Up to now, besides the neighboring countries that have provided assistance, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has also responded positively to some European Union member states through the Emergency Response Coordination Center (ERCC).

At the Center for the Reception and Administration of Aids (at Support Command) for the recent floods were the Defense Minister Olta Xhaçka and the diplomatic representatives of these countries. They closely saw the aids received from their countries, and met with some of the effectives engaged in coping with flooding. Minister Xhaçka thanked the representatives of the countries that provided assistance to face this situation and praised the engagement of Albanian military, not only during the most difficult days but also in the post-management phase.

“Your help is valuable to the people in need but also to us as the Ministry of Defense, as even today we are talking, our Support Command forces continue to be in charge of duty, staying close to the most vulnerable people as a result of heavy rainfall that hit our country. The special structures of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania are strongly committed to the management and distribution of all international donations. On behalf of the Albanian Government I assure you that all the donations will be used to help and recover the situation after the disaster, and that the distribution will be open and transparent", - said Minister Xhaçka.

In her speech, the European Union Ambassador to Albania, Romana Vlahutin, praised the Government's investments for preventing even bigger floods and thanked the engaged practitioners in the affected areas.

“I would like to thank all of you for these achievements that have already been made with regard to preventing the negative results that bring the floods, because what we have seen is that Albania is better prepared than before, also thanks to the investments that are made in the River Vjosa. I would like to thank you for being here before us for the excellent work you have done because you were there all the time with all those people, who have had these problems and who have experienced the disasters and since you have given them hope," - said Ambassador Vlahutin, who promised in the future better, faster and more organized assistance from the EU.

On their part, the ambassadors of Austria, Greece, Slovakia and Slovenia noted the functioning of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and promised to be cooperative whenever necessary.

First aid through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has come from Greece and Slovenia, while the following is expected to come from Austria, France and Slovakia. Italy has sent a mission to assess the condition of damaged bridges, as well as it is reviewing the subsequent offer.

In addition to food and clothing products, EU member states have also offered various logistic means and equipment to cope with other similar situations. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces, through the Support Command, have started allocating aid to residents affected by flooding this month.