Kacin: EU will not allow misuse of flood relief aid!

The European Union will not allow funds intended for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be spent improperly, and it is up to the citizens to trust reliable people in the next elections, stated Jelko Kacin, Member of the European Parliament, for the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP).

Kacin was asked to comment on the fears of the population in BiH that international aid for the victims of the catastrophic floods in BiH would once again be subject to misuse, as was partly the case with funds intended for post-war reconstruction.

A former parliamentary commission in BiH determined that large amounts of funds provided for citizen assistance were spent improperly or disappeared.

- As far as the EU is concerned, we will not allow that, but it is up to the citizens to go to the polls and elect trustworthy people - says Kacin.

According to him, the great disaster that has befallen a large part of the Balkans is a challenge for the victims of this catastrophe.

- The EU is helping and proving how much it cares about these countries and these people. Solidarity is the essence of the European Union, Slovenia is part of the EU, and these days hundreds of volunteers are working in centers where large quantities of aid, food, water, clothing, and everything needed by the affected are being collected. These are not just institutions; it is all of us citizens who deeply feel the pain of the affected and are doing our best to alleviate life in the affected part of the EU - he emphasized.

European Union institutions will respond with concrete financial and expert assistance when the countries are organized to receive it. In this phase, the EU is sending a message of encouragement and solidarity.

- I am proud of the citizens of the EU, especially the citizens of Slovenia originating from the Balkans; this is a great encouragement and a message to awaken other Western Balkan countries to compel their politicians to open the prospect of EU membership. As much as the citizens are affected by this tragedy, I hope it will awaken them and speed up the path, especially for BiH, towards Europe - Kacin adds for NAP.