EU to provide 651,000 vaccine doses to Western Balkans

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - The European Union will send 651,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Western Balkan countries, the bloc said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The 651,000 BioNTech/Pfizer doses are funded by the European Commission and will be shared with the facilitation of Austria. The first delivery to all the partners in the region is due in May, with regular tranches to continue until August,” the statement said.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said the vaccine doses to be sent by the bloc will help vaccinate health care workers and other vulnerable people in the region.

“The European Union stands by our partners in the region, who have been looking to us for support. I want to thank Austria for facilitating this transfer, showing its firm commitment and solidarity with the Western Balkans,” she said.

Albania will receive 145,000 vaccine doses, 95,000 Kosovo, 119,000 North Macedonia, 36,000 Serbia, 42,000 Montenegro, while Bosnia and Herzegovina will get 214,000 doses.