Poland’s donation of 50,000 protective masks and 1,000 litres of disinfectant to Bosnia has arrived at the Sarajevo International Airport on Monday.

According to Poland’s Ambassador in Bosnia, Jaroslaw Lindenberg, the donation was secured following an initiative by Polish President Andrzej Duda, was handed to the military contingent within EUFOR and will now immediately be sent to Bosnia’s Security Ministry which will distribute it.

This is only the first part of the donation, the Ambassador said, adding that trucks with 100,000 protective masks and 10,000 litres of disinfectant should arrive in Bosnia next week.

“This aid was secured by the Government of Poland and it will be secured for all six countries of the Western Balkans and all of them will receive the same amount,” Lindenberg said, adding that the donation represents Poland’s expression of European solidarity in the fight against the pandemic.

He also emphasised that the donation is a result of the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.

Bosnia’s Council of Ministers had adopted a decision on requesting international aid in light of the battle against the pandemic, Security Minister Fahrudin Radoncic said, expressing gratitude for the donation and adding that it represents “a message from that country, an EU member and all of the EU that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state they care about in the most difficult times.”