April 10 (SeeNews) - The European Union will provide financing of 700 million euro ($766 million) to the countries in the Western Balkans to support them in limiting the impact of the coronavirus crisis, the head of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the region, Dubravka Negre, said.
The funding is part of the financial package of up to 5.2 billion euro that the EIB plans to provide to countries outside of the bloc to assist them in coping with the coronavirus crisis, Negre said in a video file posted on the website of Tanjug news agency on Thursday.
"We are currently discussing with our public and private partners where the most important and urgent investments are needed. We hope to define plans and priorities for each country very quickly," Negre said.
The bank will focus its support on the healthcare sector, but it also aims to back small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and strengthen commercial banks, while providing advisory services in the realisation of investments, she noted.
Last week, Negre said the lender wants to mobilise 400 million euro in financing to back efforts by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia to get past the coronavirus crisis.
($ = 0.91382 euro)