MINSK, 20 February (BelTA) – The first batch of expensive medicines to treat cancer and rare genetic diseases has been delivered to Belarus by the CitiHope International charity organization from the United States of America. The medicines estimated at over $2.25 million were provided free of charge as part of a humanitarian project, BelTA has learned.
Director of the Humanitarian Affairs Department of the Belarus President Property Management Directorate Valery Skakun said that the medicines were provided in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the department and CitiHope International in Washington in November 2018. This document provides for sending medications to the tune of $5 million as gratuitous humanitarian aid to Belarus.
The list of drugs had been earlier agreed on with the Healthcare Ministry of Belarus. These medicines will soon be distributed among Belarusian healthcare facilities. “This gratuitous foreign aid is exempt from taxes and customs duties,” Valery Skakun said.
He noted that Belarus had closely collaborated with CitiHope International for many years till 2014. After a four-year setback, the contacts were resumed. This became possible in many ways due to the efforts of the Belarusian Embassy in the United States that is working on many important joint projects in the humanitarian field.
Valery Skakun noted that big U.S. charity organizations help implement humanitarian projects in Belarus. The majority of the projects deal with providing vital medicines and expendables to treat cancer and rare genetic diseases, in particular in pediatric patients. Over 10 months 2018, the United States of America provided medicines to the tune of $1.9 million as gratuitous aid to Belarusian healthcare facilities.
Valery Skakun emphasized that humanitarian contacts are an important part of Belarus-USA cooperation. In the near future eleven American charity organizations will take part in the projects to supply most vital medicines to Belarus. These projects will be formalized by corresponding documents.
