President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Mr Ivan Brajović, is a signatory to the regional initiative – Appeal for Assistance to the Region of the Western Balkans in Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19). The letter addressed to the President of the European Parliament, Mr David Sassoli and the President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, was sent by the presidents of parliaments of Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia and Serbia.

The letter states, among other things, that the Western Balkans, which has always clearly and unequivocally emphasised that it belonged to the European family, should be exempted from the decision to restrict the export of medical equipment from the European Union in order to become, through the transfer of experience gained and the necessary equipment and medical supplies, part of a common European response to coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Stressing that now, when we need more than ever the solidarity, a coordinated approach and joint action, president of parliaments of the Western Balkans propose that the EU institutions provide support for a number concrete measures, such as to consider including this region in the EU + export license scheme, acceding to the Joint Procurement Agreement of medical countermeasures, as well as the possibility of allowing the Western Balkans region to divert unspent funds from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

With sincere belief in European solidarity and common European future, the presidents of parliaments of the region expressed hope that the appeal will have a positive outcome.

 Appeal for Assistance to the Region of the Western Balkans in Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)