The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that no one can tarnish the war of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), describing it as a just, liberating war led by the right to freedom and statehood. According to her, without the extraordinary contribution of the KLA, Kosovo’s independence would not have become a reality.
President Osmani, speaking at the site where the parade of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) and the Kosovo Police takes place, said that it is precisely on “Luan Haradinaj” Street, in front of the “Newborn” monument and beside the “Heroinat” monument, that the 18th anniversary of independence is being marked.
She stressed that Kosovo today is stronger than ever, more prepared and more determined to move forward despite challenges, adding that the country is building its defense capacities with responsibility and vision. Osmani said that the Kosovo Security Force and the Kosovo Police demonstrate professionalism every day, showing that Kosovo is ready for NATO membership.“On this February 17, we have gathered here because history has called us precisely to this place. Here stands the ‘Newborn’ monument, the identifying symbol of our state, which delivered the long-awaited message that Kosovo had become a state. On this meaningful anniversary, we are on ‘Luan Haradinaj’ Street, which bears the name of a distinguished fighter, a hero of the KLA. A name that reminds us that this state was built by the courage of those who chose not to remain silent in the face of injustice. Their blood stands in the foundations of our independent and sovereign state. A few meters from here stands the ‘Heroinat’ monument, a powerful but also painful reminder of around 20,000 women raped by Serbia’s genocidal regime during the 1998–1999 war. That monument reminds us that the wounds left by the war, the pains not always visible but that live long in our collective conscience, will never be forgotten. It reminds us that freedom has a high price and that justice for the thousands killed, including children, remains our permanent obligation. Therefore, today in this space where the birth of the state, the sacrifice of all KLA fighters, and the wounds of war stand together in one place, we remember the efforts of generations that were sealed precisely in February 2008,” Osmani said.
The President also expressed strong support for the justice march to be held at “Skanderbeg” Square, emphasizing that citizens are asking only for justice and that defending the liberation war means defending the state of Kosovo itself. In her speech, the President also recalled the sacrifice of fighters and war victims, including around 20,000 women raped during the 1998–1999 war by the Serbian regime, stressing that justice for the thousands killed, including children, remains a lasting obligation.
