Marinë/Skenderaj, October 5th 2018 – President of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, attended today the inauguration of the Memorial Complex of Heroes and Martyrs at Marinë village, Municipality of Skenderaj.
President Thaçi said that the inauguration of the Memorial Complex in Marinë is being completed with the burial of the remnants of three glorious commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army: Abedin Rexha, Mujë Krasniqi and Ilaz Kodra.
“In this land of Drenica, the bones of the 158 KLA martyrs will be resting for eternity. Those who, at different times and at different places, individually or in groups, heroically fell in battles, trenches, facing the Serbian forces in 1998 and 1999. The pride of Drenica, of Kosovo and of the whole nation will lay to rest here. These names, engraved on the granite stones were your precious daughters and your sons. They were our brothers in arms, to whom the freedom of Kosovo, the freedom of the fatherland was more valuable than their lives. In the years that shall not come again, they lined themselves along the Kosovo Liberation Army”, said President Thaçi.
He pointed out that Kosovo Liberation Army was the most successful political and military project created in the history of the defiance and resistance of the Albanian nation.
Whoever joined its ranks, according to President Thaçi, has fulfilled a century’s long aspiration and mission of many generations which incessantly aspired Kosovo’s freedom and liberty.
“These heroes and martyrs killed the fear, the slave spirit, with a gun in the hand, with the emblem and the KLA uniform, they showed the courage and the readiness to oppose the Serbian police and military. Their love and patriotism reached the most supreme level of organisation through the Kosovo Liberation Army. That is the reason why war strategist and theoreticians consider the KLA to be one of the most successful guerrilla in the 20th century in the world. It came out of the people. The part of the nation most willing to sacrifice joined its ranks in order to sacrifice once and for all for the liberation of Kosovo. It was an army willing and ready for a sacrifice. It was the KLA which brought to the pinnacle of international attention the unsolved issue of Kosovo. KLA turned the impossible into reality”, said President Thaçi.
The head of state said that the youth, students, workers, farmers, men and women of all corners of our lands, fell in the field of honour wearing the KLA uniform.
Leading the idealistic patriots, he said, were also the three remarkable commanders of the three brigades, Abedin Rexha of the 112th brigade, Mujë Krasniqi of the 113th brigade and Iliaz Kodra of the 114th brigade.
“The national and patriotic character of the just war fought by KLA is best shown through the phenomenon of loss of life of the brigade commanders. They faced the enemy, as did Fehmi Lladrovci, Iliaz Kodra and Mujë Krasniqi, and dying at battlefields. They stood right next to the soldiers and the civilian population, thus providing the best example on how strong is the love of fatherland, how valuable is the freedom, won through blood and sacrifice. These names of heroes, and the names of other ones around Kosovo, are the best proof that there is no power, however destructive it might be, which can taint the character and the libertarian purpose of the KLA” said President Thaçi and added that their name and acts shine brighter the more the roots of Kosovo’s independence and freedom grow.
President Thaçi said that Kosovo is working on the consolidation in both internal and external plans.
“We are intensively working for Kosovo’s membership in Interpol. We are justly awaiting the visa liberalisation in the next few months. In coordination with our friends, USA and NATO, we are strongly labouring for the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into Kosovo Armed Forces, Kosovo’s army. And as part of the dialogue of the state of Kosovo with Serbia, we will work in a unified manner to achieve a peaceful agreement, mutual recognition, recognition by five EU member states and membership in NATO, EU and UN. And as part of the agreement with Serbia on correction of borders, also for the unification of Presheva Valley with Kosovo”, said President Thaçi.
The head of state said that this memorial is demonstration of the instructional respect for those who gave their most precious for Kosovo.
“The present and future generations will bow at this memorial and will visit to understand how valuable freedom and independence are. This memorial is proof that no one will have the strength and arguments to stain the just war fought by the KLA. Commanders Abedin Rexha, Mujë Krasniqi and Ilaz Kodra gave their lives on their land. Hundreds and hundreds of martyrs sacrificed themselves in their land, for the liberation of their fatherland”, said he.
President Thaçi said that if coming to life is a divine act, then giving one’s life for liberty is the most sublime and heroic act a person can undertake.
Based upon his constitutional and legal competencies, President Thaçi awarded the highest Order, “Hero of Kosovo” to all the martyrs laid to rest at the Memorial Complex at Marinë village of Skenderaj.