The leaders of 11 countries of southeastern Europe signed the Athens Declaration in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine during a summit on the Balkans.

As CNN Greece reports, under the declaration, the countries expressed their unwavering support for "Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, based on the values of democracy and the rule of law" in the face of Russian aggression.

The declaration also notes that the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova, which are all geographically adjacent to EU member states, share a common European heritage, and "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".

Eurokinissi

The document was signed by: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Montenegro President Jakov Milatović, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Prime Minister Borjana Krišto, North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in the presence of European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"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 declaration reads.

The document also notes that "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."

"We agreed that there can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities, such as attacks on civilians and the destruction of infrastructure and all those responsible must be held accountable," the declaration reads.

"We underlined the need for a re-energised 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," the document says.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis signed a joint declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration in Athens.

The summit agreed to remove the requirement for a Membership Action Plan on Ukraine's path to the Alliance. At the same time, the allies made it clear that they would invite Ukraine to join NATO "when the conditions are met". The Annual National Programme (ANP) will become a tool for monitoring the reforms that Ukraine is implementing, a tool that is already at Ukraine's disposal.