Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday at a summit meeting of south-east European countries in Tirana that his country was interested in joint ammunition production with the south-east European states.

We see problems with the supply of ammunition, and this has an impact on developments on the battlefield. We are interested in joint production with you and your partners,” said President Zelensky in his keynote speech at the meeting in Tirana, which was attended by the heads of state and government of several south-east European countries, including Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

The Ukrainian President co-hosted the summit with Albanian President Edi Rama.

Zelensky proposed the establishment of a special Ukraine-Balkans defense industry forum, which could be based in Kyiv or another capital city in the region.

The course of Europe for the next generations is currently being set and we want Europe to be an area where each country can decide its own destiny autonomously, he said.

Rama said in his keynote speech that Ukraine’s survival as a free, independent and democratic country and as a bastion of freedom across Europe depends on financial and military support.

This aid must not be held hostage to short-sighted domestic policies or bureaucratic delays, the Albanian head of state said.

The meeting was attended by Presidents Maia Sandu from Moldova, Aleksandar Vucic from Serbia, Vjosa Osmani from Kosovo, Stevo Pendarovski from North Macedonia, Jakov Milatovic from Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Prime Minister Borjana Kristo, among others. Officials from the European Union and various other international institutions also took part in the event.