Slovenia and Croatia have struck a partnership in seeking financial assistance from the EU Solidarity Fund for the relief efforts following the February ice storm, which caused extensive damage to forests and infrastructure in both countries.
The deal was signed in Zagreb on Thursday by Slovenian Ambassador to Croatia Vojko Volk and Hrvoje Marušić of the Croatian Foreign Ministry.
Volk presented Slovenia's readiness to help Croatia with its application for financial assistance from the Brussels-based fund, the Slovenian Embassy in Zagreb said in a press release.
"Slovenia has experience with such applications for EU aid. We can share it with our neighbours, who will file such an application for the first time," said the Slovenian ambassador.
According to him, the Slovenian government has been acquainted with a report on the extent and amount of damage caused by the ice storm in Slovenia, which will serve as basis for the application for aid, to be filed at the beginning of April.
The Croatian Ministry of Agriculture has estimated that the damage in the western mountainous region of Gorski kotar alone stood at EUR 233m.
Extensive damage to the power distribution network and transport infrastructure was also reported for other mountainous areas in Croatia.
Source: TheSloveniaTimes
