TIRANA, Feb. 19 – This Saturday marked Kosovo’s ten year independence anniversary, finding Prishtina in celebration among public wishes by some of the newborn country’s international stars and Albanian political leaders, as well as congratulations by its long-standing strategic partner, the US.
The Newborn landmark placed in front of Prishtina’s Youth and Sports Hall was updated for the occasion, as the number ten was incorporated between the massive letters.
The celebrations of the special anniversary were crowned with a free concert starring world-famous Kosovo-born performer Rita Ora, who landed in Prishtina on Saturday noon to perform for a crowd that overtook the entire space starting from the city’s Skanderbeg Square to Mother Teresa square and beyond.
Statements also arrived from former US Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Bush, in an open letter to the country, said he was proud to recognize Kosovo’s independence back in 2008, wishing its citizens a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future.
Clinton too, in a Facebook statement, congratulated and expressed his continuous support for the people of Kosovo.
“The enduring peace in Kosovo remains a beacon of hope for all conflict-ridden societies around the globe,” Clinton wrote.
He added that in order for the country’s hard-won gains to increase, its modern-day leaders should work commonly and put personal interests behind, especially when it comes to its quest for justice.
“We should also support the leaders in Kosovo and Serbia in their efforts to negotiate a “live and let live” future that allows both their people to put their history behind them,” was one of Clinton’s concluding statements.
The country’s Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj started the day off by serving coffee to Kosovo police officers, as depicted in a Facebook picture he posted along with his independence day wishes for his followers.
During a governmental meeting kept for the occasion, Haradinaj said that Kosovo can count achievements, but that it also faces many challenges to overcome.
“We have still to fulfill all obligations of a democratic state, but we are on an irreversible road,” he added.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama also wished Kosovo’s independence in the early hours of Saturday with a picture from Haradinaj’s house in Kosovo depicting the two MPs were seen cheering.
Meanwhile, local media also reported crowded Kosovo-Albania border points, with a number of Kosovo citizens choosing to spend their country’s independence day in Tirana or Durres, leading border police to ease border checks towards Kosovars during the weekend.
Kosovo’s assembly declared the country’s independence in Feb. 2008; that same year, the country was recognized by a number of powerful actors, such as the US, Japan and majority of EU states.
Even after its declaration as a free and sovereign state, Kosovo hasn’t had an easy state-formation road.
Though it’s seen moments of victory, such as the recognition from regional actors like Macedonia and Montenegro, Kosovo is still the poorest country in the region, while official data reports it buys around € 450 million merchandise, selling only € 48 million back.
Similarly, Kosovo still imports three times more merchandise from Serbia than Albania, despite the countries’ shared governmental meetings and agreements on political and economic cooperation.
