The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Madam Atifete Jahjaga took part today in the proceedings of the conference in the context of the launch of the Women in Public Service Project, organized by the U.S. State Department and seven American universities.
In this conference, President Jahjaga has been invited by the U.S. Secretary of State, Madam Hillary Clinton, who in her introductory speech has distinguished President Jahjaga for her leadership and initiative to establish the Council which will coordinate the policies on the fight against corruption and organized crime in Kosovo.
At this conference, together with President Jahjaga, the Minister for European Integration of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Vlora Çitaku, participated as well, while present were also the U.S. Ambassador on women’s issues Melanne Verveer, the International Monetary Fund director Christine Lagarde and other high leaders who are heads of countries and lead various international organizations.
At the proceedings of this conference, President Jahjaga has spoken about the rising representation of women in the institutions of Kosovo and in the public sphere and the positive role women have played and continue to play in the state building process in Kosovo. She has specified the parliamentary group of women and the female ministers in the government of Kosovo as examples of the beneficial contribution that the woman has given in the Kosovo society.
“Women look ahead, towards the future. Being so, they play a crucial role in the conciliation between people and in state building”, said President Jahjaga. She also added that women often have shown solidarity with each other, passing the political and ethnic lines to lead the society forward.
The President of Kosovo also stressed that as President of Kosovo she has vowed will strictly apply the principles of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. “I have set a norm, based on which I will not sign laws in force which do not respect the principle of gender”, said President Jahjaga.
President Jahjaga is on an official working visit in the United States of America, during which she has had meetings with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the U.S. National Guard chief, and has met a number of U.S. congressmen. President Jahjaga has signed an agreement with Secretary Clinton on the preservation of cultural heritage and on Thursday she will meet the American Attorney General will have meetings in the Department of Defense and with the FBI Director.