Germany Provided a 150 Million Euros State Loan to Ukraine for Coronavirus Fighting

Berlin and Kiev will establish information exchange on “medical standards” issues that are used to treat the disease, Zelensky’s press service informed. About 150 million euros under the state loan provided by Germany will be allocated to support Ukraine’s struggling with coronavirus spread. The agreement was reached within a phone conversation between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.  The press service of the Ukrainian leader reported on funds provision on Tuesday, March 31. "The parties discussed the situation around coronavirus spread in the world and practical measures taken in both countries to counter the pandemic," the press service informed. According to it, Berlin and Kiev agreed to establish an information exchange on the issue of "medical standards" used to treat the disease. “The Chancellor assured President Zelensky of solidarity on the German side,” Steffen Seibert, federal spokesman, said in turn. Possible assistance to Kiev from the EU and the World Bank The head of the German government reacted positively that on March 30 the Verkhovna Rada adopted laws on moratorium abolition  of agricultural land sale and on improving a number of regulatory mechanisms for banks. Both laws were the conditions to adopt a new program of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to support Ukraine in the amount of 5.5 billion dollars (4.9 billion euros). In this context, Merkel noted "the importance of an early conclusion of negotiations with the IMF on the new cooperation program," the Zelensky press service stated. In addition, politicians discussed the possibility to allocate additional funding to Kiev from the EU and the World Bank. "Norman format" prospects Federal Chancellor and President Zelensky also "discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine and the steps necessary for a peaceful resolution of the conflict," Seibert specified. The interlocutors touched upon results of recent consultations in the framework of the Tripartite Contact Group (TAG) on the situation in the Donbass settlement as part of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In addition, the prospects for continuing negotiations in the "Norman format" were discussed. According to the Worldometer international group of volunteers, 13 people died from the consequences of COVID-19 in Ukraine, 549 were infected.