Moldovan President Maia Sandu says her country has received a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines under the global COVAX scheme for poorer countries, a first for Europe.

“#Moldova is the first European nation to receive #COVID19vaccines via the #COVAX initiative — the first 14,400 doses arrived last night,” Sandu tweeted on March 5.

The pro-Western president thanked Germany and other EU member states, as well as the United States, Britain, Canada, Japan, and the European Commission for showing “solidarity.”

In a statement on March 4, the World Health Organization said the country had secured enough doses of vaccines through COVAX to cover about 1.7 million people, roughly half of its population.

Moldova has struggled in the global scramble to gain access to vaccines and welcomed donations.

Last week, Romania donated 21,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Moldova, enabling one of Europe’s poorest countries to begin its vaccination campaign.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in December pledged Moldova 200,000 vaccine doses from its quota allotted by the European Union.

Moldova has registered more than 191,000 coronavirus infections and over 4,000 fatalities.

With reporting by RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service