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DR. VJOSA OSMANI SADRIU
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOSOVO
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Sejdiu: Croatia has always voiced her strong support for our objectives of freedom and independence

The President of Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Fatmir Sejdiu, participated in the feast organized by Croatia Albanians on the second anniversary of declaration of Kosovo’s independence. On this occasion, which was opened by Valdet Sadiku, Kosovo Ambassador to Croatia based in Zagreb, President Sejdiu said that Republic of Croatia was one among the first countries to recognize Kosovo’s independence and to establish diplomatic relations at the level of an embassy.

“Croatia has always voiced her strong support for our objectives of
freedom and independence, whereas the Albanian community that lives in
this country has been and remains an important bridge of friendship and
cooperation between our countries”, President Sejdiu said.

President Sejdiu’s speech on the feast organized by Croatia Albanians on
the second anniversary of declaration of Kosovo’s independence:

Honorable Ambassador Sadiku,
Honorable representatives of highest institutions of Croatia,
Ambassadors, members of Diplomatic Choir,
Dear citizens of Kosovo and Croatia,
Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a special pleasure for me to be participating today in the
inauguration of the Embassy of Republic of Kosovo in the Republic of
Croatia. This is the youngest embassy, of the youngest state, with a
very young ambassador.

Kosovo has joined the family of independent states owing to a great
resistance that it has staged and to an unreserved support provided by
its allies. Above all, this support was a support for human freedom,
democracy, peace and stability.

Republic of Croatia was among the first countries to engage in
supporting the freedom of Kosovo and its independence and to pave the
way for opening the Embassy of Republic of Kosovo, after having
recognized its independence.

Today’s event is connected with two other important events that have
taken place over the past three days: the day before yesterday, we
celebrated Kosovo’s Day of Independence; yesterday we had the
inauguration of President Josipović, and today we are opening Kosovo’s
embassy.

I had the pleasure to convey messages and appreciations of the people
and institutions of Kosovo to the highest institutions and leaders of
Croatian state.

Like the representatives of other friend countries, they assured me of
their strong support for an accelerated economic growth of Kosovo and
for meeting the requirements for integration into the Euro-Atlantic
community. President Mesić in Prishtina and President Josipović here and
all others have expressed to me their appreciation for the contribution
that Croatia Albanians have provided during the Croatian national war
for liberation. They say that you, people of Kosovo, and Croatian
citizens, have provided a significant contribution to the development of
this country and this is what you should keep on doing.

We are all interested to set our pace in the journey on which we have
embarked together, so that tomorrow, very soon, Kosovo and Croatia can
become members of the European Union. In the meanwhile, I believe that
we can draw on good experience that Croatia has gained in providing for
its economic growth and in the process of its accession to NATO.
Moreover, Croatia is still maintaining the presence in Kosovo of an
excellent contingent within KFOR.

All of you present here, you are friends to Kosovo; you are people of
Kosovo and you have attentively followed the developments that we have
had and many of you have played a role in major processes that Kosovo
has gone through.

The declaration of independence was a miracle that happened in Kosovo,
and ominous forecasts of those who opposed Kosovo’s independence did not
become a reality. Kosovo has maintained its sustainability as a stable
state that belongs to all its citizens, regardless of their ethnic
background.

Kosovo has pledged to implement the Ahtisaari Proposal in its entirety,
for it was a project that was a result of a laborious and long-lasting
engagement. Kosovo maintains excellent relations with its neighbors and
other countries of the region, with the exception of Serbia, with which
we are still facing problems, but we want to have good relations with
all the countries, absolutely, including Serbia, because our future
depends on our cooperation and accession to the European Union and NATO.

To date, Kosovo has been internationally recognized by 65 countries, has
opened 21 embassies and 9 consular missions, has become a member of the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and is developing
rapidly, in face of obstacles and challenges that lie ahead of us. I
trust that Zagreb municipality, Mr. Bandić and his people, will support
us in improving the situation in Kosovo and, finally, I would like to
express my profound appreciation for all those who are away from their
homes and who have been staying here for decades. Croatia is home to you
too and its people have said and proved this to be true. Many of you
have sacrificed a lot during the war, but when a war is waged for
freedom, it always has God’s blessing.

God Bless Republic of Croatia!
God Bless Kosovo’s friends!
God Bless Kosovo!

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