On the 17th anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence, at a festive meeting of the Kosovo Government, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that "as we celebrate, we proudly remember our long journey."

 He said they honor all those who sacrificed for freedom.

"Today we honor all those who sacrificed and were sacrificed for our freedom."

"The freedom for which we have sacrificed requires a democracy that enables the voice of the people to be heard. Democracy requires secure institutions. Our republic today is stronger and more vital than ever before because we strengthened democratic institutions and built our institutions that are at the service of citizens. We have built a state of solidarity for citizens," Kurti said.

To mark the 17th birthday of the state of Kosovo, the executive has organized a series of activities, including tributes and cultural events.

17 years ago, at exactly 15:39 PM, the declaration of Kosovo's independence was made in a session of the Kosovo Assembly.

The historic session was attended by 109 MPs, out of 120, who also signed the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo.

Serbian MPs were not present at this session.

The declaration of Kosovo's independence was made by the then Prime Minister, Hashim Thaçi.

So far, 117 countries around the world have recognized Kosovo's citizenship, while Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, Romania and Spain continue to not recognize it.

The 17th anniversary of independence finds Kosovo under European Union sanctions.