European Union and Western Balkan ministers expressed full solidarity with Ukraine and stressed the need to prevent the spread of Russian disinformation at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs in Tirana, a press release said on Friday.

The EU and the Western Balkans stand in full solidarity with Ukraine … and underlined the need to step up efforts to prevent and monitor the spread of Russian disinformation in the region, offline and online,” it said. The Western Balkan countries, with the exception of Serbia, committed to step up efforts to implement restrictive measures against Russia and prevent the violation or circumvention of sanctions, the press release added.

The ministers also expressed readiness to step up efforts to protect vulnerable people against the threat of trafficking in human beings, to enhance cooperation to address the threat of trafficking and to facilitate the sharing with Ukrainian authorities of lessons learned in the Western Balkans.

They agreed to strengthen the monitoring of trends along the route and to reinforce border management, including by the use of Frontex’s presence and mandate in the region. The EU welcomed the fact that the Western Balkan countries have committed to swiftly align EU visa policy, including a concrete commitment by Serbia to end several visa-free regimes by the end of 2022.

“The Western Balkan partners expressed their full commitment to make credible and tangible progress in the prevention and repression of high-level corruption and in the fight against organised crime,” the press release said.