EU disburses €160 million in macro-financial assistance to three Western Balkans partners

The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has today disbursed the first instalments of the macro-financial assistance programmes to Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Today's disbursement of €50 million to Kosovo, €30 million to Montenegro and €80 million to North Macedonia follows the agreement and ratification of the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) over the past months. The disbursement of the second tranche will be conditional on fulfilling the policy conditions laid down in the MoUs. The MoUs with the three Western Balkans partners are part of the €3 billion emergency MFA package for ten enlargement and neighbourhood partners, aimed to help them limit the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The ongoing and swift implementation of these programmes is an important demonstration of the EU's solidarity with these countries at a time of unprecedented crisis.