Berisha recounted in his speech his memories with Rugova, stating that Rugova managed to create a unity that Kosovo has never had for the independence project.

“President Ibrahim Rugova is one of the most brilliant figures in our national history of all time”, said Berisha.

“On the philosophical level, Ibrahim Rugova is the statesman of great surprises. This descendant of a patriotic family, of a family of resistance, chose not the rifle, but Gandhism. It was a choice that no Albanian had ever made in history. It was a choice that perhaps in the Balkans, yes, but also in Europe, had not been recorded. And with this choice, Ibrahim Rugova chose the golden key to open every door and also the minds of those who loved him and did not love him, of those who believed in his project and those who opposed his project”, Berisha emphasized.

Berisha said that, “Rugova managed to create a unity that Kosovo has never had. And this was a unity in his project, in the project of Kosovo’s independence, free and independent Kosovo. Rugova, in this project, passed from one chancellery to another, from one institution to another, but with his civility and Gandhism, he would be appreciated by the European Parliament with the great Sakharov Prize. This was an extraordinary support for the people of Kosovo and the personality of Ibrahim Rugova”.

“He was a civilized man with a broad culture; one who spoke much less about politics than about the cultural universe. Ibrahim Rugova won over all his interlocutors, except for politicians who did not agree with the project of Kosovo’s independence.”

President Clinton said to him once:

“Now, independence is impossible for me, but ask for something else and I am ready to achieve it. Ibrahim thought it over and over and said: President, only independence solves the problem. Clinton laughed”, Berisha confessed.

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This exhibition presents an overview of Ibrahim Rugova’s scholarly work, a treasure that continues to be a valuable contribution to Albanian literature and bibliography. The Kosovo issue has been one of the main objects of his political activity, expressed in the titles: “The Kosovo Issue: Conversations with Marie-Françoise Allan and Xavier Galmiche”, “Independence and Democracy: Interviews and Articles”.

Also, there are articles excerpted from organs, such as: “Renaissance”, “November” etc.

The exhibition will remain open to the public in the Main Hall of the National Library throughout the current week. /j.p/p.s./

Addressing the international the International Conference “President Rugova and the West” on the 25th anniversary of NATO’s intervention in Kosovo on Monday, the government head highlighted President Rugova’s role in the history of Albanians.

“President Rugova is the man who has marked the history of Albanians with a trace as rare as it is indispensable, an unparalleled synthesis between the revolutionary with the wisdom of the statesman and the statesman with the idealization of the revolutionary,” PM Rama said.

The Premier said Ibrahim Rugova is the founder of free, independent and democratic Kosovo, describing the late President as an intellectual from the mountains of Albanian history, a man who defied the doubts and ridicule of his contemporaries to lead his people toward a brighter future.

PM Rama stated that “Ibrahim Rugova was and remains the most atypical, the most unique, inimitable, and inexplicable of Albanian politicians.

Rama highlighted that Rugova remained steadfast in his commitment to non-violent resistance and the pursuit of independence, adding that he was capable of impressing people with his vision and his readiness to take risks for the sake of his people.

“Rugova’s self-proclamation as the President of Kosovo on May 24, 1992 for the first time ever, despite the lack of international recognition, was a testament to his courage and his belief in the power of hope, risking not only his life but also his name and personality in pursuit of his goals,” Rama added.

The Prime Minister quoted Rugova as writing: “I cannot do literature while seeing my people being killed on the streets.”

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The Kosovo head of the state said that President Rugova at a very tough time for the Kosovo people succeeded in building alliances that Kosovo needs even nowadays.

The government head Kurti said that Rugova will always remembered for his role and contribution towards making Kosovo issue an international cause.

The United States ambassador Jeff Hovenier said “President Rugova’s legacy – that of a leader who advocated for peaceful resistance while demanding equal rights and freedoms for all citizens – is an inspiration here in Kosovo and around the world”.

A literary critic, Rugova was widely admired for pursuing a policy of non-violent resistance to Serbian rule – at the time when the break-up of Yugoslavia was triggering bloody wars in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early-1990s.

His grave in a neighbourhood above Pristina has become an important shrine for politicians and many others, who visit and lay flowers every December 2, on his birthday, and on January 21, on the anniversary of his death.

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PM Rama described him as the great man in the history of Kosovo.

“On this emotionally charged day of the year, we also remember the great man in the history of Kosovo, the most atypical leader among the prominent leaders in our history, the first president of the other independent state of Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova, who passed away on this day 16 years ago. Every passing year, his star grows more and more in the sky of our national memory “, PM Rama said.

President Rugova died on January 21, 2006 and was buried with high state and military honours./r.e/p.s./