site.btaBulgaria Offers Help as Croatia Deals with Quake Aftermath

December 30 (BTA) - Bulgaria has offered financial and
other help as Croatia is dealing with the aftermath of an
earthquake that took lives and caused destruction. Prime
Minister Boyko Borissov had a phone call with Croatian
counterpart Andrej Plenkovic to express his condolences after
the earthquake.

"Bulgaria feels for the tragedy of the Croatian people. We
wish you fast recovery from the injuries and the damage,"
Borissov said in his phone call with Plenkovic.
He expressed the readiness of the Bulgarian government to
provide assistance and support in overcoming the aftermath of
the quake. "We are ready to help friendly Croatia. It is in such
times when solidarity and unity are most needed," the Bulgarian
government leader is quoted as saying.

At its weekly meeting, the government decided to extend 100,000
euro in financial support for Croatia, Foreign Minister
Ekaterina Zaharieva told a news briefing. Also, Bulgaria will
help rebuild two emblematic buildings in Zagreb damaged by the
quake: the Gornjogradska high school and the Croatian Academy of
Sciences and Arts. The restoration of the two buildings will
cost an estimated 5 million euro and Bulgaria will provide
50,000 euro.

Two Bulgarian producers of bottled mineral water have offered to
deliver water to areas where water supply has been disrupted by
the quake. They will send a TIR truck of water bottles each:
one will leave on December 31 and the other on January 4.

The director of the Fire Safety and Population Protection
Directorate General, Chief Commissioner Nikolai Nikolov, told
reporters in the northern town of Byala that Bulgaria is ready
to send experts in the quake-hit regions of Croatia. He said
that he spoke to his Croatian counterpart Wednesday morning to
discuss what help is needed.

Bulgaria has offered to send blankets, folding beds and electric
heaters. Seventy-two members of a specialized quake rescue team and
construction engineers are ready to leave for Croatia any time
now, if their help is needed. A couple of days from now it will
be clear if Croatia needs such assistance, Chief Commissioner
Nikolov said. He added that the country does not need it right
now.

President Rumen Radev had a phone talk with his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanovic, Radev's press secretariat informed later. The Bulgarian Head of State expressed this country's sympathy with the Croatian people and institutions. Radev confirmed Bulgaria's readiness to send search and rescue teams to Croatia if needed, and provide equipment to help overcome the aftermath of the quake. The Bulgarian President invited his counterpart to an official visit here at a convenient time.

RY/MT
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