Coronavirus response: Second Dutch flight transports additional medical aid to Montenegro in response to COVID-19

The delivery was made with a cargo plane. It consisted of 55 m3 of personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, goggles, protective clothes, test kits and ventilators). It also included 5m3 of personal protective equipment for Bosnia and Herzegovina and 1m3 for Albania. The Netherlands had already transported 7,000 kilo / 70m³ of personal protective equipment and medical supplies from Beijing to Podgorica in the second half of April, including masks, gloves, test kits, protective clothes, goggles, thermometers and face shields. That delivery was also carried out following Montenegro’s request for assistance through NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre.

The Centre operates on a 24/7 basis, coordinating requests from NATO Allies and partners, as well as offers of assistance to cope with the consequences of major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Various other mechanisms have been used in both instances, including EU medical assistance to Montenegro procured by the United Nations Development Programme, purchases by Montenegrin citizens (residing in Montenegro and abroad), and donations from China.

In April, Montenegro also received masks, overalls, and test kits from Turkey, as part of medical supplies provided by Turkey to other NATO Allies and partners in Balkans, including North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. Furthermore it received medical supplies for the Podgorica Clinical Center - including 3 Dräger Vista 120 patient monitors, 210 infusion sets and one infusion pump - from the United States, through the U.S. European Command.