Leaders of the Western Balkans unanimously condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including Vucic (STATEMENT)

2024-02-28 15:38:17Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Leaders of the Western Balkans unanimously condemn the Russian invasion of
Family photo of BP leaders with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky in Tirana

The eight leaders of the Western Balkans, from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia, have unanimously condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, expressing support for the independence and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine in a joint statement during Volodomyr Zelensky's visit to Tirana.

"We are convinced that Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the critical need and essential importance of a united and strong Europe capable of meeting global challenges for the peace and prosperity of our peoples. We emphasized that we are united by common European values ​​and the vision of their further development within a united Europe," the statement said, among other things.

FULL STATEMENT:

We, President Vjosa Osmani, President Maia Sandu, President Jakov Milatović, President Stevo Pendarovski, President Aleksandar Vucic, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Edi Rama, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Borjana Kristo, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu met in Tirana on February 28, 2024 and issued the following statement:

Russia's unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine remains the biggest threat to European security and international peace. This act of aggression is unacceptable; it is a flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and a crime against the Ukrainian people.

We reiterate our unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders since 1991, and remain committed to providing Ukraine with the support it needs to prevail against Russia's war of aggression for as long as it takes. enough to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter and on the basis of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

We call on the entire international community to strongly increase support for Ukraine in its ongoing struggle for freedom, independence and territorial integrity.

We strongly condemn the intentions of the Russian Federation to hold presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, which is a clear violation of international law. We emphasize the illegal nature of the upcoming elections in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and in the Russian-occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions of Ukraine.

During today's discussions in Tirana, we reaffirmed our solidarity with Ukraine and its people in their heroic defense of their freedom and our common values ​​and expressed our readiness to participate in the implementation of the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which is online with the Goals and Principles of the UN Charter and to participate in the inaugural Peace Summit, ensuring the widest possible international participation in this process.

We are convinced that Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the critical need and essential importance of a united and strong Europe capable of meeting global challenges for the peace and prosperity of our peoples. We emphasized that we are united by common European values ​​and the vision of their further development within a united Europe.

We reaffirmed our determination to intensify joint efforts to ensure further progress and mutual support towards the membership of the Western Balkans region, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia to the European Union.

We fully support Ukraine's right to choose its own security measures. NATO allies and aspirant countries praise the steps taken towards its future membership in NATO and support Ukraine to become a member of the Alliance as soon as security conditions permit.

We underlined our firm commitment to bring to justice those individuals who are responsible for the crime of aggression, crimes against humanity and other atrocity crimes under international law, committed in connection with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, through investigations and prosecutions appropriate, fair and independent at the national or international level, including the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court to ensure that allegations of war crimes and other international crimes are fully and fairly investigated by independent, effective and powerful legal mechanisms.

We agreed to cooperate and focus our efforts on the return of illegally and unlawfully deported and forcibly displaced Ukrainian children.

We pledge to increase our cooperative efforts to combat disinformation, including false narratives about war, and remain committed to combating hybrid warfare and cyber security challenges, contributing to the stability and security of the international community.

Today in Tirana, we reaffirmed our solidarity and support for Ukraine, expressed our commitment to participate in the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine after the war, in order to enable the Ukrainian people to rebuild their country, engaging all relevant partners , including private and international companies. financial institutions, with the aim of providing the financial support, investment and knowledge needed to ensure a prosperous future for Ukraine. We underline the importance of demining in the broader context of Ukraine's recovery, as an important initial step towards the safe return of people and the resumption of economic and agricultural activity.

We, the friends of Ukraine, confirm our strong belief that only by uniting we will be able to restore peace, stability and just prosperity on the European continent.


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