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EU Air Bridge to Sudan

The ambassadors of France, Sweden and the European Union welcomed the first flight of the European Humanitarian Air Bridge to support Sudan to tackle the impact of the COVID 19. The event was attended on the Sudanese side by a government delegation led by Undersecretary Mr Mohamed Elshabik of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development as well as colleagues from the Ministry of Health and Foreign Affairs.

The EU Humanitarian Air Bridge to Sudan consists of two flights and is the single largest operation of the European global Air Bridge initiative. The second flight, bringing in cargo and humanitarian aid workers is scheduled to arrive in Sudan on 24 June next.

At the event tonight, 10 June, a European Boeing 747 carrying some 90 tons of cargo touched down at Khartoum International Airport. The cargo contained medical equipment, vaccines, water purifiers, medical kits, medicine, and medical staff protective equipment.

All the equipment will be distributed and used by the international organizations of Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and International Medical Corps (IMC), in coordination and cooperation with the federal and local health authorities of Sudan.

Mr Mohamed Elshabik, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development thanked on behalf of the government and people of the Sudan the European Union, Sweden and France for their generous support and commitment to helping Sudan to fight the COVID 19.

Ambassador Robert van den Dool, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Sudan, told the press the launching of the European Humanitarian Air Bridge to Sudan is a very tangible illustration of how the European Union is supporting Sudan on fighting COVID 19. This is one of the largest humanitarian cargo planes which has landed in Khartoum Airport since the beginning of the COVID 19 crisis. We have been supporting the Sudanese Government through a partnership with WHO on the COVID 19 response until now and we plan to further strengthen this partnership. We are proud to help organizations such as UNICEF, UNFPA, MSF and IMC to assist and accelerate their humanitarian work to save lives and ease the suffering of vulnerable people, especially those in the remote states and regions of Sudan.

Thanks to Sweden, France and the EUs Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid

Ambassador Van den Dool thanked wholeheartedly Sweden for taking the lead and working with EU humanitarian colleagues in the facilitation and coordination of this Humanitarian Air Bridge with the Sudanese authorities. He also commended France for all their efforts and support in making this important Air Bridge possible. Finally, he stated this unique Air Bridge would not have been possible without the support of the EUs Humanitarian Aid office in Khartoum.

Team Europe support

Being a part of the Team Europe approach, the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge operations are part of the EU's global response to the coronavirus pandemic. Team Europe's support to the whole African continent in the fight against COVID 19 amounts to 3.25 billion, reaffirming that the EU is the leading partner of African countries. This funding is helping countries strengthen their health systems, support their economies in these challenging times, train health staff and reinforce social support systems.

Khartoum, 10th June 2020.

Link:
European Humanitarian Air Bridge arrives in Sudan as part of the EU's Global Response to tackle COVID 19 [EN/AR] - Sudan - ReliefWeb

PARIS (AP) The world faces the worst global recession in nearly a century, a key economic body warned Wednesday, while in Europe, restrictions to fight the spread of coronavirus portend a bleak summer tourism season even as more nations announced plans to welcome visitors again.

Beginning June 16, Austria will open up to all European neighbors with the exception of Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Britain, meaning that visitors from 31 countries will no longer be required to undergo a two-week quarantine upon arrival. Greece, another European holiday hot spot, will allow tourists to fly to Athens or the main northern city of Thessaloniki beginning on June 15.

But thats hoping people have money to spend.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Wednesday that global economic output could fall by as much as 7.6% this year if a second wave of infections emerges, with the pandemics economic impact expected to be even harsher in Europe because of the continents strict and relatively lengthy coronavirus lockdowns.

In the eurozone, which includes the 19 European Union nations that use the common euro currency, GDP is expected to plunge 11.5% this year in case of a second wave and by over 9% even if another round of infections is avoided.

Now were in the midst of perhaps the most global health, economic and social crisis and its simply the most severe any of us have ever witnessed, OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria said during the presentation of the report in Paris. He named tourism and air travel among the critical sectors hard hit by the pandemic and urged countries to cooperate in developing and fairly distributing a vaccine for the virus.

As long as a virus is widespread somewhere, the threat will remain everywhere and economic costs will persist as some borders remain closed, Gurria said, with the report predicting that the crisis would leave long-lasting scars, including lower living standards, high unemployment and weak investment.

READ MORE: WHO chief warns virus is worsening globally

The virus has infected 7.2 million people worldwide and killed nearly 412,000, about 180,000 of them in Europe, according to official figures tallied by Johns Hopkins University. The true toll is believed to be much higher because many people died without being tested.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said the border with Italy to the south would be open without conditions on June 16 but that a travel warning for Austrian citizens was still in place for Italys northern region of Lombardy. That region, the epicenter of Italys epidemic, has still been showing triple-digit growth in daily infections while much of the rest of the country counts a handful or fewer.

While Italy opened its own borders on June 3, Austrias reluctance to open their shared border has been a sore spot between the two.

Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said restrictions would remain in place for Spain because its own borders remain closed until July 1 for most tourists and for Portugal due to an increase in infections in recent days.

Please pack your bags, but dont forget the situation at home, Anschober said, emphasizing that the virus remains in circulation. Please consider every trip, whether with the family and on business, and when possible dont travel.

Italys Coldiretti farm lobby said the Austrian border opening was critical to Italian tourism, which normally registers summer holiday visits by 3.4 million Austrians and 7 million Germans who cross Austria to reach Italy. Coldiretti called Austrias move an important signal. Foreign visitors spent 167 billion euros ($190 billion) last year in Italy, a third of it on food.

Contract workers from Frances all-important food, catering and events industry held a protest Wednesday between the Louvre Museum and Champs-Elysees, saying the virus pandemic is killing their jobs. The symbolic flash mob demonstration included about 30 people dressed in black, simulating strangulation with their ties and putting signs reading sentenced to death into a coffin.

To the south, Spains sunny, beautiful Balearic Islands will allow thousands of German tourists to fly in for a two-week trial that tests out how to balance the needs of Spains vital tourism industry with new regulations to curb the countrys coronavirus outbreak.

The trial that begins June 15 comes before the archipelago and the rest of the country re-open to international tourism on July 1. The Spanish government is under heavy pressure to re-activate an industry that generates 12% of Spains GDP and provides 2.6 million much-needed jobs.

Hungary said beginning Friday it would fully reopen its borders with Croatia, whose beaches on the Adriatic Coast are a favored destination.

Greece will allow international flights to land at regional airports beginning July 1. Visitors arriving from airports not on the European air safety agency list of at-risk regions will be subjected to random spot coronavirus tests but will not face the mandatory testing and quarantine now in place for all international travelers.

In some other countries, uncertainty about the tourist season remained.

Germany announced it is prolonging its travel warning for more than 160 countries outside Europe until the end of August even as it ends border controls for most EU citizens. Last week, Germany downgraded its travel warning for the rest of the 27-nation EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland and Britain.

Britain said Wednesday it was planning to re-open zoos, safari parks and drive-in theaters next Monday as it eases lockdown measures. But that is mostly for local tourists only, since this week the government slapped a 14-day quarantine requirement on all arrivals, a move that health experts say comes too late and tourism officials fear will be devastating to their industry.

Britain has nearly 41,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, the highest death toll in Europe.

In Buglaria a rise in infections prompted the government to prolong its state of emergency to the end of June, while in Moscow, the mayor said it will take the Russian capital about two months to lift all of its coronavirus restrictions.

Barry reported from Soave, Italy and Gorondi reported from Budapest, Hungary. Other AP journalists contributed across the continent.

More here:
Europe reopens borders amid worst global recession in memory - PBS NewsHour

BRUSSELS - The European Union's top diplomat said Tuesday that since the United States has already withdrawn from an international agreement curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions, it can't now use its former membership of the pact to try to impose a permanent arms embargo on the Islamic Republic.

The accord, which Iran signed with the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, China and Russia in 2015, has been unraveling since President Donald Trump pulled Washington out in 2018 and reinstated sanctions designed to cripple Tehran under what the U.S. called a "maximum pressure" campaign.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft have said that extending a permanent U.N. backed arms embargo against Iran is now a top priority for Washington.

But speaking to reporters Tuesday after talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell insisted that since the U.S. has pulled out of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, it can no longer claim to have a role in it.

"The United States has withdrawn from the JCPOA, and now they cannot claim that they are still part of the JCPOA in order to deal with this issue from the JCPOA agreement. They withdraw. It's clear. They withdraw," Borrell said.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the Trump administration of unleashing a politically motivated campaign against Iran and he called for "universal condemnation" of the U.S. attempt to get the U.N. Security Council to impose a permanent arms embargo.

The EU sees the nuclear deal as a key pillar of regional and world security and has struggled to keep the pact alive despite U.S. pressure. Borrell is tasked with supervising the way the pact is applied and to help resolve disputes between the parties.

Read more:
EU Rejects Any US Attempt to Invoke Iran Nuclear Deal - VOA News

Financing from European Union funds to support disabled children and their families will be distributed among 17 associations or foundations in the second project selection process, as reported by the Central Financing and Contracting Agency (CFLA).

After the initial project selection process, the previously approved rehabilitation centre Poga and 16 other projects have been approved under conditions. If project authors fulfil conditions, eight projects will be implemented in Riga, three in Pieriga, four in Kurzeme and two in Vidzeme. 15 submitted projects were not approved over reasons of insufficient funding or quality criteria.

Project implementers associations or foundations will have access to funding of EUR 206 750 to organize support activities for disabled children and their families. This includes social rehabilitation, daycare services and moments of respite or short-term social care services. Funding as part of the project is also intended to procure equipment and train specialists.

Project proposals were submitted to CFLA between 30 December 2019 and 2 April 2020. Information about approved projects will be published on CFLA website once projects have been approved.

32 projects for a total amount of EUR 5 279 352.31 were received in the second stage of the selection process. This amount includes EUR 4 487 551.87 from European Social Fund and EUR 791 800.44 from the state budget. The available funding is EUR 3 114 303.50, which includes EUR 2 647 157.97 from the EU and EUR 467 145.53 from the state budget, which means the requested funding amount exceeds the amount that is readily available. 85% of projects costs will be covered by the European Social Fund and 15% will be covered by Latvias state budget.

14 projects are implemented in the first stage, providing assistance to disabled children and their families.

Originally posted here:
EU finances to be used to finance projects to assist disabled children - bnn-news.com

During the three years of the visa-free regime with the European Union, Ukrainian citizens have made almost 49 million trips to the EU countries.

"Today, exactly three years ago, Ukrainian citizens with biometric passports were granted the right of visa-free travel to the European Union (except Ireland), as well as to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland which are members of the Schengen area but are not the EU members... Since the beginning of the visa-free regime (from June 11, 2017 till April 2020), Ukrainians have made a total of almost 49 million trips to EU countries with both biometric and non-biometric documents," the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine informs on the occasion of the third anniversary of the introduction of visa-free travel.

According to the State Border Guard Service, Ukrainians most often cross the border with Poland. The areas of the border with Hungary and Romania were also active, and to a lesser extent the border with Slovakia.

As noted, Ukrainians increasingly used air travel, while sea travel was the least popular.

According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the flow of Ukrainians to the EU is growing every year. In particular, in 2018, the number of trips was 17.5 million, and in 2019 it was 18.65 million. The first months of 2020 were no exception, but the situation was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why most countries have restricted entry and scheduled international air service was suspended. According to the analysis, in January and February this year, Ukrainians travelled to the EU 3 million times, while for the same period in 2019 2.3 million times.

"In the second year of visa-free travel, the number of Ukrainians who preferred visa-free travel (exclusively with biometric passports) increased 4.2 times compared to the first year," the State Border Guard Service noted.

As reported, the visa-free agreement between Ukraine and the European Union was signed in Strasbourg on May 17, 2017.

On June 11, 2017, visa-free travel for Ukrainians was launched.

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See the rest here:
Three years of visa-free travel: Ukrainians have made almost 49 million trips to EU - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news