The low temperatures did not block hundreds of Albanians from both sides
of the border to gather in Kukes for the 15th anniversary of the big
exodus of the Kosovo Albanians.
Same as 15 years ago, when the border with Albania turned into the only road of salvation from the Serbian genocide, this day was commemorated in a symbolical way today.
100 senior citizens from Kosovo have traveled on foot to Kukes, where they were welcomed by the governments of Rama and Thaci. Both Albanian cabinets held a meeting in the northern town of Albania, where they showed gratitude for sheltering the Kosovo Albanians on the days of Serbian repression, and making Kukes today the capital of all Albanians.
Footage from a documentary have brought to attention the days of war when no one could know how it would end, until a few years ago, the fight led by the Kosovo Albanians and NATO enabled the creation of the newest state in Kosovo.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, held a speech through which he thanked the United States of America, NATO, the European Union and all friends that helped Kosovo in those difficult days.
“I want to thank and remind the commitment of all citizens of Kukes, Has and Bajram Curri, and on the same time allow me to greet the man who led the Republic of Albania, the Prime Minister of the rear front in the war of Kosovo, Pandeli Majko. Without the support of the Albanian government we wouldn’t be able to stay in front of the Kosovo war, and win it with the huge international support. By reminding the massive evictions and the crimes made against our people, we must not cultivate hate, but make clear a historic truth. In this day we reiterate that our people has always been on the right side, that our war was right, honest and legal, and no one can throw mud on it”, Thaci declared.
“New reality for Balkan”
“This is a new era for our region”, declared the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, after expressing his deep gratitude and appreciation to the fighters of Kosovo, to their blood and sacrifice, and to the welcoming of the citizens of Albania and of everyone who contributed for peace in Balkan and for the independence of Kosovo.
“I will express my gratitude not only for the United States President George Bush, who was extremely important in Kosovo’s path to independence and for Albania’s NATO accession. I want to express my gratitude also to Sali Berisha and the Democratic Party government which was part of the Albanian effort for the independence of Kosovo and for reaching the day when we, Albanians, can say that we disagree on everything, but fortunately we are not divided on the important issue, that until yesterday was called the Kosovo Issue, but today it is finally called the issue of Albanians”, Rama declared.
While underlining the new reality in our region, with Balkan being at peace for the first time, he declared that cooperation between Albanians has met another impulse.
“This new era doesn’t belong to the nationalistic theater or propagandist sciences, with the unified ABC Book on our hand every time the school starts. This is the time for an intensive work on all plans, a work that has started and that is building the cooperation bridges of the Albanians of the new generations, so that the Albanians of the new generation become the first generation of European Albanians who have the same reference points and come from the same path of education”, Rama declared.
Present in this activity were representatives from all Albanian lands, from Macedonia, Montenegro and Presheva, who greeted this increased cooperation between the two Albanian governments.
What was noted in this activity organized in Kukes, was the absence of the Albanian President, the Democratic Party leader, and of other opposition Parliament Members, although they had all been invited.
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