Begaj said that Kosovo’s freedom was the result of the “ultimate sacrifice” of thousands of men and women, the heroic struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army, and the determination of strategic allies, including the United States, NATO, and other partners, whom he said stood on the right side of history.

Begaj paid tribute to the martyrs of Kosovo’s liberation war and to the families who endured its hardships.

He also honoured the leaders of Kosovo’s statehood, including Ibrahim Rugova, crediting them with laying the foundations of democracy and the country’s Western orientation.

Begaj expressed respect for what he described as the commander and leading figure of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Adem Jashari, his family, and all fighters for Kosovo’s freedom.

He said that on this day of celebration and reflection, attention is also directed towards The Hague, where former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army are facing what he described as another legal process, which he described as a significant historical injustice.

Begaj said that those who led the people to freedom are now paying a high price to defend the dignity of what he described as a clean, just and liberation struggle.

He said that from the podium, a message of support and brotherhood was being sent, adding that no court or attempt to rewrite history could alter what he called the fundamental truth: that the Kosovo Liberation Army was not the aggressor, but the shield of a people facing extermination. He expressed confidence that justice would prevail and that those involved would return victorious to Kosovo.

Begaj also said that, for Albania, Kosovo’s freedom and statehood remain among the greatest achievements of modern national history, adding that Albania and Kosovo are two states of the same nation, bound by an inseparable brotherhood.

He added that this legacy should be passed on to younger generations so they can build their future on the solid foundations of what he described as a glorious past.

/sm/