EU contributes to cost of Czech repatriation effort

The European Union has refunded a large part of the cost of bringing Czech nationals and other EU citizens back home at the start of the coronavirus epidemic this year, the Czech Foreign Ministry said on Friday. According to the ministry, the EU covered 75 percent of the cost, paying 77 million crowns.

The repatriation effort brought home over 5,000 Czechs and close to 1,000 citizens from other EU member states. Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček said he appreciated the contribution saying it further demonstrated European solidarity in a crisis.