Chinese Government provides RMB 23 million grant to Serbia's Ministry of Defense for disaster response activities

On July 23, 2014, a donation protocol was signed between the Chinese Ministry of National Defense and the Serbian Ministry of Defense in the city of Belgrade. The donation protocol provided an RMB 3 million grant in the form of military equipment.

The military materials are intended primarily for flood disasters and will be used to continue to carry out medical assistance. The donation comes after a particularly bad bout of flooding in May of 2014.

This batch of aid materials mainly includes general logistics materials, anti-epidemic drugs and medical devices, totaling 13.3 tons, which will be used for flood relief in Serbia.

It includes 24 non-combat type transport boats and 30 GPS devices for disaster response activities in flooded areas. 10 boats from the donation went to the River Flotilla, and 14 were given the Special Brigade. The GPS devices are to be deployed to ground forces.

As part of the donation, life jackets, transport trailers, 250 liter fuel tanks, inflatable and ejector pumps, paddles, blankets and hand-held GPS navigators were also delivered.

At the handover ceremony, which was also held on July 23, 2014, Gahic expressed that the Serbian side thanks China for its free assistance to Serbia for many years.

He said that China's aid materials will be mainly used by the Serbian military to continue to carry out medical assistance, which is an important material supply for the post-disaster reconstruction work in Serbia.