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AREA backs help for Ukraine

BELGIUM: AREA, the European refrigeration and air conditioning contractors’ association, has offered its support to the Ukrainian people following an online meeting with the Refrigeration Association of Ukraine.

In the online video call last week, the Ukrainian association’s chairman Serhii Anashkin spoke about the current emergency, explaining how the refrigeration sector could act to help and support Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.

Anashkin repeated pleas contained in an open letter sent by the Ukrainian association to AREA on March 2, calling for the sector to boycott the Russian market and its goods.

In a follow-up letter, president of AREA Marco Buoni, explained that the original letter had been forwarded to all its 24 member associations across Europe and the UK, and said: “We fully support and stand by the current and future sanctions on Russia decided by the EU and its allies, aiming to do our best and help our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.”

Buoni also invited the sector to deliver aid to Ukraine, in the shape of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment, components, tools that could be useful to replace what was destroyed or, whether possible, to repair it. 

“We also invite our sector and all civil society to help Ukrainians financially, having a heart toward those who stayed in Ukraine as well as the ones who had to flee. In the short term is needed food, transport, radios, medicine, power supplies (generators, power banks), batteries, burn bandages and dressing, first aid kits…”

A number of AREA member associations have already publicly pledged support, including the Danish association Dansk Køl & Varme and Poland’s national refrigeration forum Krajowe Forum Chłodnictwa. 

Related stories:

UK and European groups stand with Ukraine – 19 March 2022
UK: The UK’s Institute of Refrigeration (IoR) has lent its voice alongside those of associations in Poland and Denmark in support of colleagues in the RACHP sector in the Ukraine. Read more…

Ukraine calls for support from cooling industry – 6 March 2022
UKRAINE: The Refrigeration Association of Ukraine has called on European refrigeration and air conditioning companies to cease the supply of equipment to Russia and Belarus. Read more…

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