EU commissioner praises Croatia for aiding flood victims

Croatia is an important European partner in providing aid to people struck by natural disasters, EU Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner Christos Stylianides said in Zagreb on Friday after meeting with Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusic.

Although Croatia itself was struck by heaving flooding in May 2014, it also extended humanitarian aid to flood-hit areas in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

European solidarity is needed more than ever. Last year, when it itself was flooded, Croatia showed that it is a country willing to help others and we are grateful to Croatia for it, Stylianides said.

The commissioner is travelling to Gunja, eastern Croatia, in the afternoon to see how that area is recovering from the effects of last year's devastating flood. Each disaster shows how vulnerable we are, he said.

The European Union is an important factor in providing aid throughout the world, from South Sudan to countries affected by the Ebola epidemic, but since our resources are limited, we have to try to be efficient in our aid efforts, Stylianides said.

Pusic said that Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina had jointly applied for EU funding for a long-term cross-border project for flood defence, adding that the project was now being considered by the European Commission.

(Hina) vm

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