During the Balkan Summit in Greece, the leaders of 11 countries of southeastern Europe signed the Athens Declaration expressing support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, CNN Greece reports.
The declaration states that the summit participants express their strong support for "Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with its internationally recognized borders, based on the values of democracy and the rule of law, in the context of Russian aggression."
The document also notes that beyond the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova, bordering EU member states, share a European heritage, and it is important that they are accepted as full members of the European family to ensure peace, security and stability in the region.
The Declaration emphasizes that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is an important challenge for Europe, requiring strengthened unity and common principles, and points to the need to bring those responsible for war crimes and other violations to justice.
The signing of the document took place with the participation of the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission:
- President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić;
- President of Moldova Maia Sandu;
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy;
- President of Montenegro, Aleksandar Milatovic;
- Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis;
- Prime Minister of Romania Marcela Ciolacu;
- Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti;
- Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Krišto;
- Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski;
- Prime Minister of Bulgaria Nikolay Denkov;
- Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković.
