Bulgaria among 11 countries signing Athens Declaration in support of Ukraine, Western Balkans
Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov was among the leaders of 11 countries to sign the Athens Declaration in support of Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Greek capital city for talks with Balkan and EU leaders.
The declaration states unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, based on the values of democracy and rule of law.
It notes that the declaration comes 20 years after the historic EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki.
The declaration says:
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a pivotal moment for Europe, creating a new level of awareness of shared principles, unity and common future within the EU. This is a critical time for the security, peace and stability of our European continent. The laws and principles that contributed to a stable and predictable European security order for so long have been violated and we witness anew the manifestation of the disastrous effects of revisionism.
In the face of Russian aggression, we express our unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, based on the values of democracy and rule of law.
In our discussions in Athens today, we expressed support and appreciation for the earnest efforts by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in setting out the principles for peace in line with the UN Charter, in his Peace Formula. We also welcomed the efforts of the UN General Assembly to promote a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.
We agreed that there can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities, such as attacks against civilians and the destruction of infrastructure and all those responsible must be held accountable.
Twenty years ago, the Thessaloniki Summit acknowledged that the Western Balkans belong to the European Union. We firmly believe that today this statement remains more relevant than ever. The escalating war of aggression against Ukraine revealed the urgent need for a strong, resilient and inclusive EU as a cornerstone of peace and prosperity among our peoples during these challenging times.
We stressed that the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, geographically adjacent to EU Member States, have a common European heritage, history and a future defined by shared opportunities and challenges. As a strategic investment in peace, security and stability in Europe, it is important for these regions to be embraced as full-fledged members of the European family.
Today in Athens, we discussed the way forward, in order to make this vision of Europe a reality. We underlined the importance of setting ourselves a target for the completion of the vision of an EU enriched with the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. We underlined the need for a re-energized and re-focused enlargement process that is tangible and credible, without shortcuts to the set conditions. We expressed our commitment to support Ukraine and Moldova to take the next steps in their accession process as soon as they have completed the necessary reforms.
We firmly believe that 20 years after the Thessaloniki Summit and in light of the new geopolitical reality, the time has come to adopt a bold and ambitious end goal that will serve as guide, inspiration and context.”
The signatories are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Krišto, North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
The declaration was signed in the presence of European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
(Photo via the Twitter account of EC President Michel)
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