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

We can see problems in ammunition supplies and this impacts the developments on the battlefield. We are interested in the joint production with you and your partners, said President Zelensky in his keynote speech at the Tirana gathering that brought together heads of state or government of several southeast European countries, including Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

Ukraine's president co-hosted this summit along with Albania's President Edi Rama.

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Zelensky suggested the establishment of a special Ukraine-Balkan forum of the defence industry which could be headquartered in Kyiv or in some other capital city in the said region.

Currently, the course of Europe is being defined for the next several generations, and we want Europe to be a space where each country can autonomously decide on its destiny, said he.

Rama said in his keynote speech that the survival of Ukraine as a free, independent and democratic country and as the bastion of freedom of the whole Europe depends on the financial and military assistance.

This assistance must not become hostage to short-sighted home policies or bureaucratic delays, said Albanian head of state.

In attendance at the meeting were presidents, Maia Sandu of Moldova, Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia, Vjosa Osmani of Kosovo, Stevo Pendarovski of North Macedonia, Jakov Milatovic of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Prime Minister Borjana Kristo and others. Officials from the European Union and various other international institutions also participated in the event.