SERBIa: Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic says European Union (EU) emergency funds alone will not be enough to cover the cost of damage caused by the worst floods in the country since records began

Record ID: 643465

  • Title: SERBIa: Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic says European Union (EU) emergency funds alone will not be enough to cover the cost of damage caused by the worst floods in the country since records began
  • Date: 20th May 2014
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (MAY 20, 2014) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER, ALEKSANDAR VUCIC, TALKING, COMMISSIONER FOR INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION, HUMANITARIAN AID AND CRISIS RESPONSE, KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, STANDING TO THE SIDE (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SERBIAN PRIME MINISTER, ALEKSANDAR VUCIC, SAYING: "We, I'm absolutely sure, qualify for financial support and to use them but when I say to use them I mean they, without any doubt, will not cover, not even closely, all the costs. So we don't believe that we will fix all our problems taking from someone else's pocket." SERBIAN FLAG GEORGIEVA, STANDING IN FRONT OF MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU COMMISSIONER FOR INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION, HUMANITARIAN AID AND CRISIS RESPONSE, KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, SAYING: "As the Prime Minister said, in a couple of weeks when the waters recede there will be time for rehabilitation and reconstruction and at that point, IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) funds and possibly applying for the Solidarity Fund would provide critical financial resources to compliment the funds you would put for recovery. So those who have suffered the floods can look into a better future." CAMERAMAN FILMING VUCIC AND GEORGIEVA SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 4th June 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: International Relations,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA55V481O3RCY8A37725Q255W7E
  • Story Text: Serbia's Prime Minister said on Tuesday (May 20) that it will take more than just financial aid from the European Union (EU) to cover the cost of damage caused by severe flooding across the country.
    At least 40 people have died in the last week in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia, after days of the heaviest rainfall since records began 120 years ago caused rivers to burst their banks and triggered hundreds of landslides.
    Aleksandar Vucic had previously said that the cost to Serbia would run into the hundreds of millions of euros.
    Speaking to journalists after a meeting with the European Commissioner for International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva in Belgrade, Vucic said the country would be able to apply for EU aid but that it would not be enough solve all problems.

    "We, I'm absolutely sure, qualify for financial support and to use them but when I say to use them I mean they, without any doubt, will not cover, not even closely, all the costs. So we don't believe that we will fix all our problems taking from someone else's pocket," he said.
    Serbia's dinar (currency) fell on Tuesday amid fears that the cost of cleaning up after devastating floods in the Balkans will weigh on their already strained public finances.
    The Commissioner said the EU would provide financial help to those in need.

    "As the Prime Minister said, in a couple of weeks when the waters recede there will be time for rehabilitation and reconstruction and at that point, IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) funds and possibly applying for the Solidarity Fund would provide critical financial resources to compliment the funds you would put for recovery. So those who have suffered the floods can look into a better future," Georgieva said.
    Serbia on Tuesday declared three days of national mourning.
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