Supporting Kiev is a moral obligation

A visit to Kyiv is a moral and political obligation, the Montenegrin Prime Minister said yesterday Dritan Abazovic who, together with his colleagues from Albania and North Macedonia, expressed the expectation that Ukraine will receive the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union - that is, that at the next EU Summit "politically courageous decisions will be made for all our countries on the European path for the sake of peace, stability and prosperity" .

Abazović and the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama have been on an official visit to Kyiv since yesterday, at the invitation of the Ukrainian president Volodomir Zelenskyi, with whom they held a press conference.

Rama and Abazović are, with the online presence of the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitra Kovačevski, adopted a joint statement supporting Ukraine to obtain candidate status for EU membership.

There is a photo from the online meeting, which the government officially published.

The press conference was held after the officials of Albania and Montenegro visited Irpin and Borodyanka on the outskirts of Kiev, which were destroyed at the beginning of the Russian invasion.

In Irpin, 1.100 households were destroyed, citizens left their homes, and the infrastructure was almost completely destroyed.

"We sympathize with Ukraine because of the numerous losses of life and the suffering they have been going through for months. We are witnessing the hell of war destruction. We pray for peace and we stand firmly with the citizens of Ukraine... You are fighting for principles and the possibility of choosing a way of life. You have the support of Montenegro to become part of the European family in accordance with the wishes of your citizens", said Abazović at the press conference.

He said that the most important thing is for the war to stop, in order to prevent further death and devastation, and that after that he hopes for the beginning of the reconstruction of Ukraine and that Montenegro will help as much as it can.

"This is a message to the great powers that we all stand on the same side when it comes to the defense of democratic principles," said Abazović.

Rama said that the fact that the countries of the Western Balkans support Ukraine in obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership shows that the countries that want to join are not in competition with each other.

He said that all the countries of the Western Balkans that the UN members condemned in that institution were an attack on Ukraine, but he also pointed out that Kosovo also participates in the sanctions against Russia, although Ukraine does not recognize it.

Zelenski, answering the questions of "Vijesti", said that he is aware that Montenegro is a small country, which can help in a limited way when it comes to humanitarian and military aid, but that "where there is a will, there is a way".

"We started a dialogue and that is very important. A country at war like Ukraine has many problems. Hundreds are wounded every day. The appeal for help was sent to Montenegro, but also to all other partners," said Zelenski.

He added that it is important that he has the support of NATO member states, because the issue of security is a priority and that Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia could, as NATO members, raise the issue of Ukraine's security at Alliance meetings.

The delegations of Montenegro and Albania were welcomed by representatives of local self-governments - the head of the Kyiv regional state administration Oleksi Kuleba, president of the city municipality of Borodjanka Georgij Jerko and the secretary of the local assembly of Irpina Makeva Angela, who, as announced by the Government, presented to them what their fellow citizens went through in the previous period and what damage the cities suffered.

When it comes to daily life in Kyiv, traffic works well, citizens seem to go about their business as usual, so the first encounter with this city can be deceiving that everything is going on as usual.

However, there are piles of sandbags and makeshift military checkpoints in the way, which become more common as you move away from the city center. Along with bunkers and trenches, there are also destroyed gas stations, damaged buildings, destroyed bridges and endless series of anti-tank obstacles on the way to Borodjanka and Irpinje.

Although at times it seems as if life is functioning normally, yet the details confirm that it is not so - children going down the slide in Borodjanka in front of a building where half the facade was burned.... Two pensioners who are sitting on a bench in front of the building a hundred meters away, which looks like it's going to collapse at any moment.

The EU cannot allow new "black holes"

At the press conference, Abazović warned that the EU cannot allow new "black holes" in Europe that will be created if the problems continue to pile up, rather than moving forward.

Rama reminded that Albania has been a candidate for EU membership for a long time, but the EU does not fulfill what it promised. "This does not mean that we will not stay on the European path, we will because we are doing it for the sake of the future and for our children," said Rama.