Balkan leaders support Ukraine, seek EU support for the region

2023-08-22 07:31:33, Kosova & Bota CNA

Balkan leaders support Ukraine, seek EU support for the region

Athens, August 21, 2023

The leaders of the countries of the Western Balkans and the European Union expressed their support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their struggle against the Russian occupation.

They gathered on Monday night at an informal dinner in Athens, hosted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki.

According to an announcement by the Government of North Macedonia, the leaders of the region exchanged views on the further progress of European integration. They emphasized that the Western Balkans is of strategic importance for the EU and that the membership of its countries in the bloc would contribute to the stability and prosperity not only of the region, but also of Europe as a whole.

According to them, the faster integration of the Western Balkans into the EU requires strong political support like never before.

"Evaluating EU values ??based on democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, the countries of the Western Balkans are focused on the European future. As stated in the Thessaloniki Declaration of two decades ago: "Europe will be truly united only when all the countries of the region become an integral part of it", the announcement states, adding that at the end of the informal dinner, the leaders agreed for a joint statement.

The informal dinner in Athens was attended by: the presidents of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vu?i?, the president of Montenegro, Jakov Millatovi?, the president of The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krishto, and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski.

Also present were the prime ministers of the EU member states from the region - Andrej Plenkovic of Croatia, Ion-Marcel Ciolacu of Romania and Nikolai Denkov of Bulgaria, as well as the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Moldovan president, Maia Sandu./ REL