Former US President Bill Clinton congratulates Kosovo

17/02/2018 12:41

The former US President, Bill Clinton, congratulates Kosovo’s first decade of independence with a very touching message on Facebook.

Clinton advises Kosovo to continue with the consolidation of law-enforcing institutions, appealing also to allow the Special Court do its job.

President Bill Clinton’s video message on his Facebook profile:

“Today I’m proud to send congratulations and best wishes to all the people of Kosovo, as you celebrate the 10^th anniversary of your declaration of independence.

Kosovo will always hold a special place in my heart, and I am very grateful that as President of the United States, I could help you to pursue a future of freedom, prosperity and tolerance. You’ve taken a lot of important steps over the last decade to realize that future. And this milestone gives you the opportunity to look ahead and to recommit to overcoming the challenges that remain.

I continue to believe that Kosovo’s rightful place is as a full and equal member of the European Union, NATO, and the international community. In order to do that it is important to your friends around the world that you continue to work to put the conflicts of the past behind you.

That includes allowing the work of the Specialists Chambers to continue so that all people can move forward together. As you continue to deepen your commitment to democracy, remember that real democracy is about a lot more than majority rule.

It also is about minority rights and shared decision-making, balancing the preferences of the majority and the protection of the minority, and valuing our cooperation, the existence of rights that every individual is entitled to, and ultimately, the fact that we will all observe and honour the rule of law.

It’s a great courage from all sides to put down the gun and pick up the pen. That courage, combined with the values of the people of Kosovo is why I believe your country’s future is bright.

So I join you in celebrating your 10 years of independence. I look forward to seeing you grow in progress, to grow in prosperity and growing inclusion in the years to come. I will always be honoured that I had the chance to help you get started. And I hope I’ll be around a while to see you carry the ball home to the end. Good luck.”