Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said on Tuesday his country would help financially to mitigate the effects of last week's magnitude 6.2 earthquake in central Croatia.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and terrible destruction brought by the powerful earthquake. Canada offers its sincerest condolences to the people of Croatia and stands ready to support them during this difficult time,” Champagne said.

“The Government of Canada will contribute $500,000 CAD to the Canadian Red Cross to support the response of the Croatian Red Cross and help those affected by the earthquake,” the Canadian Embassy said in a press release.

The help speaks to the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries, assisted by the active Croatian-Canadian community in cities across Canada which has also raised funds to support Croatia in these difficult moments, the embassy said.

“The Government of Canada will continue to work closely with the Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Croatia to assess the situation and ensure a coordinated response.”