The leaders of the countries of Southeast Europe, including the leaders of the Western Balkans and officials of the European Union (EU), adopted today in Tirana at the Summit Ukraine - Southeast Europe, with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, a declaration stating that Russia's military aggression against Ukraine remains the biggest threat to European stability and international peace.
"This act of aggression is unacceptable, it is a flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations (UN), as well as a crime against the Ukrainian people," states the first point of the declaration from the summit attended by the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović.
The declaration expressed "unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" within the internationally recognized borders of 1991, and with a promise to help Ukraine in the war as long as necessary, also called on the entire international community to "strongly increase support for that country in her fight for "freedom, independence and territorial integrity".
The leaders also condemned Russia's plans to hold its presidential elections in the "temporarily occupied territories" in the east of the country and the Crimean peninsula.
In the declaration, the leaders stated that Russia's all-out aggression against Ukraine "demonstrated the ultimate need and crucial importance of a united and strong Europe, capable of facing global challenges for the peace and prosperity of its peoples."
The document also expresses full support for Ukraine to choose its own security arrangements, and adds that NATO members and candidate countries welcome the steps it is taking towards membership in the alliance and support its desire to join it as soon as security conditions permit.
The participants of the summit also expressed their intention to "strengthen cooperation in the fight against disinformation, including false narratives about war, and to remain committed to countering hybrid warfare and challenges in the field of cyber security."
The declaration also contains the promise of the countries participating in the summit to help rebuild Ukraine and engage all financial institutions, companies and knowledge to ensure a prosperous future for Ukraine, which is also a prerequisite for the return of its refugee residents.
Along with Milatović, the document was signed by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Moldovan President Maja Sandu, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Volodimir Zelenski and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. The President of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Borjana Krišto, and the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania, Nikolaj Denkov, Andrej Plenković, and Marcel Čolaku, also signed.
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