The last partial delivery of vaccines to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which arrived yesterday, marked the end of a major EU solidarity campaign led by Austria. Between May and August, a total of 651,000 doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine were provided to the six western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia.
During a pandemic, no one is safe until everyone is safe. So it was only logical for us to support our partners in the Western Balkans with urgently needed vaccines. By delivering 651,000 doses of BioNTech/Pfizer, Austria has made an important contribution to vaccination progress in our immediate surroundings,
said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, summing up the successful solidarity campaign.
At the request of the European Commission, Austria’s task as the EU vaccine coordinator was to create the legal framework for the aid campaign for the Western Balkans, and to prepare the respective purchase and delivery contracts between BioNTech/Pfizer and the individual Western Balkan states. Austria also arranged bridge financing via the International Disaster Fund. Ultimately, the cost of the vaccines for the six countries will be covered by funds from the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
When the European Commission asked Austria to support the distribution of vaccines in the region, we immediately and gladly agreed. It is surely no coincidence that Austria was assigned the role of coordinator, because the western Balkans have been and remain a high priority in our foreign policy,
said Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, emphasising Austria’s willingness to help.
The precise allocation of doses was based on epidemiological needs in the individual countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina received 214,000 doses, Albania 145,000 doses, Northern Macedonia 119,000 doses, Kosovo 95,000 doses, Montenegro 42,000 doses, and Serbia 36,000 doses. In addition to the Western Balkans, Austria has also supported vaccination campaigns in other countries. Most recently, vaccines were delivered to Ukraine and Lebanon, while an additional 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca were channelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina bilaterally.
