NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and Romania signed a cooperation agreement on Monday (24 October 2022) to deliver paramedic training for Ukrainian first responders.
This training will help to increase the capacities of the Ukrainian medical system amid Russia’s war of aggression – a situation exacerbated by the onset of winter conditions and continued challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be delivered in Romania by the Department of Emergency Situations under the Ministry of Interior of Romania. Romania and NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, through the Pandemic Response Trust Fund, will finance the delivery of training and logistical support.
A ceremony to mark the signature of the agreement was held at NATO Headquarters, attended by the State Secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Interior, Dr. Raed Arafat; the Permanent Representative of Romania to NATO, Ambassador Dan Neculăescu; and Mr. Tim Lannan, Head of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre.
The Pandemic Response Trust Fund was established in 2022 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now providing immediate humanitarian support to Ukraine, including the delivery of medical equipment, supplies, and educational support in areas like paramedic training. All of this helps to improve the preparedness and resilience of Ukraine’s national healthcare system.