Ministers Grlić Radman, Fajon visit flooded areas in Slovenia

Slovenia on Tuesday expressed its gratitude to Croatia for the help in manpower, machinery and equipment that Zagreb immediately sent due to the unprecedented floods last week to the neighbouring country where six people died, and the damage is estimated at billions of euros.
 
"On behalf of the Slovenian government, on behalf of Slovenia, I sincerely thank Croatia, the Croatian government and the Croatian people for their solidarity and selfless help," said Slovenian foreign Minister Tanja Fajon after meeting with her Croatian colleague Gordan Grlić Radman in Donja Bistrica near Lendava.
 
"Croatia was the first to send emergency aid with a military helicopter, so it was possible to protect people from the flooding of the Mura River, because without it the disaster would have been even greater. More Croatian aid, 17 soldiers and construction material, is on its way today," Fajon added.
 
The two ministers in the town of Donja Bistrica on the Mura River where a helicopter and 8 soldiers sent by Croatia participated on Sunday in the activities of transferring concrete blocks to create barriers to prevent flooding of that river.
 
On Tuesday, another 17 members of the Croatian Army were sent to Slovenia with engineering machines.
 
They will be deployed where Slovenia will need them the most, said the Croatian foreign minister, announcing that Croatia has also offered a special type of modern bridge, up to 40 meters long, which can be assembled quickly.
 
In order for life to get back to normal, the Croatian Motorways will also send their people, and the Croatian Red Cross, Caritas and the fire brigade have also been activated because "we want to be there and help", said the Croatian minister.
 
Grlić Radman expressed regret for the catastrophic flood, which is unprecedented in the modern history of Slovenia, where more than two-thirds of the country was flooded.
 
Since Friday, when the floods began, six people have died, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes across northwestern and central Slovenia.
 
Cities were cut off, communications were cut off, landslides were triggered, bridges collapsed, some people were left without drinking water and electricity.
 
Croatia immediately came to the rescue, as Slovenia did when Zagreb and then Banija were hit by earthquakes, the ministers emphasised.
 
As for the damage from the floods, it is still being assessed and that process will continue, Fajon said, adding that "according to the preliminary estimates, Slovenia is facing about several billion euros of damage.
 
"This will put Slovenia in a position where the EU's solidarity mechanism alone will not be enough, but we will also try to find additional funds from various aid mechanisms," she said. Budgetary reserves and redistribution of funds will have to be used because the damage is enormous.
 
Text: Hina/MVEP

Press releases