Acting President Haxhiu: Today, on the Independence Day of the United States of America, I had the pleasure of being at Camp Bondsteel
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, said that today, on the Independence Day of the United States of America, I had the pleasure of being at Camp Bondsteel, together with the members of the Balkan Support Group, to share with them this special and festive day. According to Acting President Haxhiu, the Fourth of July brings us back to one of the noblest principles of democracy: the will of the people as the source of freedom and power. She further said that for us in Kosovo, this date is inseparable from the friendship with the United States, which has stood by us during the most difficult and defining moments of our history. Acting President Haxhiu conveyed her warmest congratulations to the US soldiers and citizens on the 250th anniversary of Independence, along with appreciation for the alliance that has united us in the past and continues to lead us into the future.
Acting President Haxhiu visited the Kosovo Intelligence Agency
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, visited today the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA), where she was received by the Director, Mr. Petrit Ajeti, and other officials of the Agency. Acting President Haxhiu was on this occasion more closely acquainted with the work, organization and priorities of this key institution to the security of the Republic of Kosovo. She expressed her praise for the professionalism and dedication of KIA officials in protecting security and state interests. Acting President Haxhiu added that strengthening its capacities and inter-institutional cooperation remain essential for a secure Republic, well prepared for the challenges of the future.
Acting President Haxhiu’s address at the graduation ceremony of the young cadets of the Kosovo Security Force, generation 2026
Honorable Prime Minister Kurti, Honorable Minister Maqedonci, Honorable Lieutenant General Jashari, Honorable military attachés, representatives of NALT, KFOR and international partners, Honorable Defense Academy personnel, Dear parents and family members, And above all, dear cadets of the Class 2026, Today I have the honor to be among you, on the day when you, the new generation of officers, are graduating from the Defense Academy and entering the service of the Republic. This day belongs first and foremost to you, cadets of the Class 2026. It belongs to your families, who have closely followed the toil, discipline and expectations of these years. It belongs to the Academy, which formed you, and to the Kosovo Security Force, which today welcomes into its ranks new officers, prepared for great responsibilities. Dear cadets and from today on, young officers; with your graduation, an important chapter of your training is concluded and the responsibility of service as officers of the Republic begins. Four years ago, you commenced this journey with dreams, ambitions and determination to serve your homeland. During these years, you followed the integrated academic and military program, gaining university knowledge and at the same time going through education, training and military formation at the Defense Academy of the Kosovo Security Force. The formation you received has given you knowledge, discipline and a clear understanding of the responsibility that an officer bears. Modern equipment, technology and new standards have value when placed in the hands of people who know how to judge correctly, remain calm and act with integrity. The rank will be placed on your shoulders, but its weight will be measured in your character. An officer earns trust through conduct, honesty, care for those entrusted to him, and a willingness to take responsibility even when the decision is difficult. People may respect rank, but they only follow character. You are graduating at a time when international security is facing new challenges. Conflicts, hybrid threats, cyberattacks, disinformation, and attempts to weaken a state from within remind us that peace is maintained through preparation, vigilance, and strong alliances. For this reason, your responsibility is much greater, starting with the protection of territorial integrity, state sovereignty, our Constitution, democratic order, freedom, and security of every citizen of the Republic of Kosovo. Your service begins with the awareness that the Republic is not a gift. It was built on the centuries-old struggle for freedom, on the sacrifice of our people, and on the liberation war of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The heroism of the Legendary Commander Adem Jashari and the sacrifice of the Jashari family remain eternally a symbol of the courage, freedom and determination of our people to live freely. You must serve with pride and humility before the sacrifice of those who made the state possible. Our new history is also connected to our allies. In the liberation of Kosovo, in building peace, in establishing institutions and in developing defense capacities, Kosovo has had the United States of America, NATO and friendly countries by its side. For this support, the Republic of Kosovo remains grateful. Maintain the trust of citizens and strengthen cooperation with our allies through the work, discipline and standard that you show every day. The Kosovo Security Force, together with our Police, are institutions that enjoy the greatest trust of our citizens and this trust is our most precious capital. Preserve and strengthen it further, because trust is earned with professionalism, but it is preserved with the irreplaceable values: loyalty, honesty and integrity. In this joint celebration, I reiterate that our strategic goal remains unchanged. The Republic of Kosovo belongs to the Euro-Atlantic family and our membership in NATO is a state objective and strategic interest of the Republic of Kosovo. This goal is related to our security but also to our clear democratic orientation, for peace, rule of law and security. I am convinced that your generation will be among the generations that will bring Kosovo even closer to this historic goal, and I believe that many of you will have the privilege of representing the Republic as officers of the newest NATO member state. Dear parents and family members, This day belongs to you as well as to all of us. You have been their support at every step of this journey and for four years, you have shared with them the challenges, the shortcomings, the sacrifices and the joy of every success. On behalf of our institutions, citizens and forces, I thank you for the inspiration and education you have given them, for the values you have passed on to them and for the trust you have had in them. Today, your sons and daughters enter the service of the Republic as young officers, with a duty to the citizens, the defense of the country and peace. And at the end, dear young officers, the uniform you wear does not separate you from the citizens. It connects you to them even more. Because every rank in the KSF has meaning only when it is put in the service of the Republic and its people. From today, every decision you make will carry responsibility, every order you give will affect the lives of people, and every action of yours will represent the identity of the Kosovo Security Force and our Republic. Therefore, always serve with honor, lead with wisdom, act with integrity and always remain faithful to the oath you will take today. On behalf of the Republic of Kosovo, I congratulate you on your graduation and wish you success in the very noble duty you have chosen. May your path in the service of the Republic of Kosovo be blessed. Congratulations Class 2026! May God bless you, your families, the Republic of Kosovo and all of our citizens. Thank you!
Acting President Haxhiu participates at the graduation ceremony of young KSF cadets: you must serve with pride and humility to the sacrifice of those who made the Republic of Kosovo possible
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, today participated at the graduation ceremony of young cadets of the Kosovo Security Force, generation 2026. Addressing the participants, Acting President Haxhiu said that today I have the honor to be among you, on the day when you, the new generation of officers, are graduating from the Defense Academy and entering the service of the Republic. “This day belongs first and foremost to you, cadets of the Class 2026. It belongs to your families, who have closely followed the effort, discipline and expectation of these years. It belongs to the Academy, which formed you, and to the Kosovo Security Force, which today welcomes into its ranks young officers, prepared for great responsibilities”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. Addressing the cadets of the 2026 generation, Acting President Haxhiu said that with your graduation, an important chapter of your formation is concluded and the responsibility of service as officers of the Republic begins. “Four years ago you started this journey with dreams, ambitions and determination to serve your homeland. During these years you followed the integrated academic and military program, gaining university knowledge and at the same time going through education, training and military formation at the Kosovo Security Force Defense Academy. The formation you received has given you knowledge, discipline and a clear understanding of the responsibility that an officer bears. Modern equipment, technology and new standards have value when placed in the hands of people who know how to judge correctly, remain calm and always act with integrity. The rank will be placed on your shoulders, but its weight will be measured in your character”, said Acting President Haxhiu. According to her, an officer gains trust with behavior, honesty, care for the people he trusts and willingness to take responsibility even when the decision may be difficult, adding further that people may respect the rank, but they only follow the character. “You are graduating at a time when international security is facing new challenges. Conflicts, hybrid threats, cyberattacks, disinformation and attempts to weaken a state from within remind us that peace is maintained with preparation, vigilance and strong alliances. For this reason, your responsibility is much greater, starting from the protection of the territorial integrity, sovereignty of our country, the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, the democratic order, the freedom and security of every citizen in the Republic of Kosovo”, affirmed Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Haxhiu said that your service begins with the awareness that the Republic is not a gift. “It was built on the centuries-old struggle for freedom, on the sacrifice of our people and on the liberation war of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The heroism of the Legendary Commander Adem Jashari and the sacrifice of the Jashari family remain eternally a symbol of the courage, freedom and determination of our people to live freely. You must serve with pride and humility before the sacrifice of those who made the Republic of Kosovo possible”, said Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Haxhiu said that our new history is also connected to our allies. “In the liberation of Kosovo, in building peace, in establishing institutions and in developing defense capacities, Kosovo has had the United States of America, NATO and amicable countries by its side. For this support, the Republic of Kosovo remains grateful. Maintain the trust of the citizens and strengthen cooperation with our allies through work, discipline and the standard that you will show every day”, affirmed Acting President Haxhiu. She said that the Kosovo Security Force, together with our Police, are institutions that enjoy the greatest trust of the citizens and this trust is our most precious capital. “Preserve and strengthen it even further, because trust is earned with professionalism, but it is preserved with the irreplaceable values: loyalty, honesty and integrity. On this joint celebration, I reiterate that our strategic goal remains unchanged. The Republic of Kosovo belongs to the Euro-Atlantic family and our membership in NATO is a state objective and strategic interest of the Republic of Kosovo. This goal is related to our security but also to our clear democratic orientation, for peace, rule of law and security. I am convinced that your generation will be among the generations that will bring Kosovo even closer to this historic goal, and I believe that many of you will have the privilege of representing the Republic as officers of the forces of the newest state, a member of NATO”, said Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Haxhiu, while addressing the families of the cadets, said that this day belongs to you as well as to all of us, you have been their support during every step of this journey for four years, you have shared with them the challenges, the shortcomings, the sacrifices and the joy of every success. “On behalf of our institutions, citizens and forces, I thank you for the inspiration and education you have given them, for the values you have conveyed to them and for the trust you have had in them. Today, your sons and daughters enter the service of the Republic as young officers, with a duty to the citizens, the protection of the country and peace. A special thanks also goes to the professors, instructors, and personnel of the Defense Academy. The quality of your work is seen in the officers who emerge from this Academy, in the knowledge they carry, in the discipline they have acquired and in the character they have formed, and this is one of the most important investments that can be made in the security of the Republic of Kosovo”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. In the end, Acting President Haxhiu said that the uniform you wear does not separate you from the citizens, it connects you even more to them. Because every rank in the KSF has meaning only when it is put in the service of the Republic and in the service of its citizens. “From today, every decision you make will
Acting President Haxhiu: Responsibility towards the citizen is the foundation of trust in uniform
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, participated today at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Kosovo Police Inspectorate. In her address to the participants, Acting President Haxhiu said that for two decades, the Kosovo Police Inspectorate has carried out a great deal of work, which receives little public attention, but without which trust in the police would be more fragile. “The Kosovo Police Inspectorate was established with a mission that is never easy: to ensure that those who protect citizens remain within the law. One of the most difficult tasks that a democratic state can build on its own. Because it is easy to demand responsibility from others, but it is much more difficult for the state to set the same standard on its own institutions”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. According to her, for twenty years in a row, this Inspectorate has maintained that clear view, has carried out its work responsibly and with the conviction that accountability does not weaken the police, but strengthens it. “With the conviction that transparency does not violate the authority of the uniform, but makes it credible. And that a police officer supervised with integrity is a police officer that the citizen feels is his. Therefore, trust in the Kosovo Police has grown over the years”, said Acting President Haxhiu. She further said that today I want to focus, first of all, on the people who maintain this institution. “To all the officers of the generation, but especially those of the first generation, who started this traversing when there was still no example to follow. They did not inherit a ready-made institution but built it themselves, with dedication, patience and the difficult burden that those who are the first always bear. They worked in silence and held high a simple and great idea at the same time: that the Kosovo Police belongs to its citizens, and that every uniform carries the trust of the citizens”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Haxhiu further added that we also share this day with the partner institutions and agencies that stood by the Inspectorate since its beginnings, because according to her, no sustainable institution is built on its own, it is built with cooperation, support and a common will towards democratic standards. Acting President Haxhiu said that the trust of citizens is earned every day, in each response that this inspectorate gives to a citizen seeking justice, and our citizens have understood this. “It was mentioned and we saw that during 2025, 2,539 citizens addressed the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, about 500 more than in during the previous year. This increase is evidence of a growing trust. It is a sign that citizens are seeing the Inspectorate as an address where they can go, where they can be heard and where their concerns are treated with the highest institutional seriousness. Among the citizens who have addressed this institution over the years, there have also been communities that are not the majority in Kosovo, Serbs, Turks, Bosniaks, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians. This door does not ask who you are or what language you speak. It only asks whether your right has been violated. And when the answer is yes, then the door opens for everyone equally”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. According to her, this is the deepest meaning of equality before the law, and it is precisely this meaning that the Kosovo Police Inspectorate has defended in each of these twenty years. “Twenty years of the Police Inspectorate cannot be separated from our journey as a state. So, every institution that we have responsibly established, every standard that we have set for ourselves, has brought us closer to the state that we have always dreamed of: a state where the law applies equally to all. The independence, transparency and accountability of this Inspectorate are measures of our democratic maturity and an inseparable part of our European journey”, said Acting President Haxhiu. She further said that the institutions of the Republic must continue to stand by this institution: by protecting its independence, by strengthening the professionalism of its people and by maintaining public trust as the foundation of its work. According to her, the coming years require even more independence for the Inspectorate, more investigative capacities and more trust earned through concrete work. Finally, Acting President Haxhiu thanked the Inspectorate for twenty years of honest work in a task that rarely brings gratitude, but always requires very strong character. “I thank you for maintaining calm when decisiveness was needed, and decisiveness when justice was demanded. Thanks to your work, the citizen knows that behind every uniform stands a law, and behind every law there must be someone who ensures that it is respected. I heartily congratulate you on this anniversary! May the next twenty years be even stronger evidence of the same conviction that united you from the beginning: that a state becomes strong only when it has the courage to be fair to itself”, said Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu’s address on the 36th anniversary of the Constitutional Declaration of July 2
It is good to find each other here in the premises of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo 36 years later, under completely different circumstances, but we would not have been able to be here without your determination and resistance more than three decades ago. Honorable participants, On July 2nd, 1990, the doors of the Assembly were closed to the delegates of Kosovo. The scene of that day begins with closed doors, with police in front of the Assembly, with delegates outside the hall, and with a government that, after having taken away Kosovo’s autonomy, sought to take away its political voice. But the mandate comes from the people, and that day the Kosovo delegates demonstrated this by speaking on behalf of Kosovo outside the Assembly hall. Without that scene, one cannot properly understand July 2nd. The regime thought it had stopped a meeting of the Assembly, but it had left behind a sight that Kosovo would never forget, delegates standing outside the hall but who had entered history. At that time, Kosovo was facing organized state violence. It was not only seen in the violence exercised by the police at the time, but also in the attack on institutions, schools, work, language and the very right of Kosovo Albanians to decide for themselves. Serbia aimed for more than the governance of Kosovo. It aimed to leave it without a political voice and without the possibility of appearing as an independent subject. The Constitutional Declaration of July 2 was raised against this. Kosovo at that time had very little space. But there were people who knew how to use even that little space with wisdom and courage. Among them were the delegates who approved the Declaration, the people who drafted and supported it, as well as all those who understood that Kosovo’s politics should speak the language of law, not the language of subjugation. In this history, a special place belongs to academician Gazmend Zajmi, one of the minds that gave the Declaration legal clarity and constitutional order. The text of July 2nd had five points, and each of them pushed Kosovo out of the position imposed by Serbia. The Declaration defined the act as political self-determination, established Kosovo as an independent and equal unit within the Federation, or rather the Confederation of Yugoslavia, and confirmed it as a political-constitutional community of equal citizens and communities. It rejected Serbia’s 1989 amendments and decided that the Assembly and the political community it represented would be publicly referred to only as Kosovo. When Muharrem Shabani read the Declaration in front of the Assembly building, Kosovo publicly articulated its political stance. Kosovo refused to be treated as a subordinate province, but demanded to be recognized as an independent and equal entity. After July 2nd came September 7th, the Kaçanik Constitution, then the referendum for independence and the entire organization of the 1990s. Kosovo tried to keep itself afloat with the institutions it created, with the Albanian school, with the university, with political life and with the citizens who refused to accept as permanent the injustice that had been imposed on them. The political path of the 1990s took on its full meaning with the Kosovo Liberation Army. The KLA took upon itself the heaviest burden of our new history, the war for the liberation of the country. The sacrifice of the martyrs, the resistance of the fighters, the violence against civilians, the mass expulsion and ethnic cleansing made it clear to the world that Kosovo was not seeking political privilege, but freedom from oppression and organized state violence. After the liberation war of the KLA and the intervention of our allies, Kosovo entered a new political phase. On February 17th 2008, it declared its Republic as an independent, sovereign and democratic state. That day sealed before the world a demand that had been formulated much earlier, in political decisions, in constitutional acts, in organization, in war and in sacrifice. For this reason, July 2nd cannot remain on the margins of this history. It is the moment when Kosovo spoke on its own behalf and refused to let Serbia decide for it. With the Constitutional Declaration, the demand for a Republic emerged from the political call and entered the institutional language of Kosovo’s representatives. Today, the Republic of Kosovo honors the delegates of July 2nd with deep and lasting gratitude. We honor those who are among us. We remember with respect those who are no longer alive. Gratitude also belongs to their families, because politics, in such moments, does not only consist of documents. It turns into fear within the home and anxiety for the person who has undertaken to say what the regime seeks to prohibit. The delegates of July 2nd had neither the comfort of a normal session, nor the security that a free state offers. In front of them was a regime that sought to transform violence into constitutional order. This places their act at the political foundation of the Republic. Today, as we commemorate July 2nd, we must keep the political meaning of that day clear. Kosovo refused to be spoken on its behalf by Serbia. It refused to allow violence to become a constitutional order. It refused to allow the will of the people to be replaced by the police and imposed amendments. Today’s Republic honors July 2nd by defending its sovereignty in every corner, by keeping its institutions at the service of its citizens, and making it clear that its citizens decide for Kosovo. Eternal honour to the delegates of July 2nd. Honor to all those who thought of, defended, and advanced the idea of the Republic of Kosovo. Thank you very much!
Acting President Haxhiu: Today’s Republic honours July 2nd by defending Its sovereignty at its every corner
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, together with the Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Donika Gërvalla, held a discussion with the delegates of the then Assembly, on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the Constitutional Declaration of July 2nd. On this occasion, Acting President Haxhiu said that on July 2nd 1990, the doors of the Assembly were closed to the delegates of Kosovo. She further said that the image of that day begins with closed doors, with police in front of the Assembly, with delegates outside the hall and with a government that, after having taken away Kosovo’s autonomy, sought to take away its political voice. “But the mandate comes from the people, and that day the Kosovo delegates proved this by speaking on behalf of Kosovo outside of the Assembly hall. Without that scene, one cannot understand July 2nd. The regime thought that it had stopped a meeting of the Assembly, while it had left behind a sight that Kosovo would never forget, delegates who stood outside the hall but who had entered history”, said Acting President Haxhiu. Acting President Haxhiu emphasized that at that time, Kosovo was facing organized state violence, adding that it did not only show through the violence exercised by the then police, but also in the attack on institutions, schools, work, language and the very right of Kosovo Albanians to decide for themselves. “Serbia aimed for more than the governance of Kosovo. It aimed to leave it without a political voice and without the possibility of it appearing as an independent subject. The Constitutional Declaration of July 2nd was issued against this”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. According to Acting President Haxhiu, Kosovo at that time had very little space, but there were people who knew how to use even that little space with wisdom and courage, among them were the delegates who approved the Declaration, the people who drafted and supported it, as well as all those who understood that Kosovo politics should speak the language of law, not the language of subjugation. “In this history, a special place belongs to academician Gazmend Zajmi, one of the minds that gave the Declaration legal clarity and constitutional order. The text of July 2nd had five points, each of which pushed Kosovo out of the position imposed by Serbia. The Declaration defined the act as political self-determination, established Kosovo as an independent and equal unit within the Federation, namely the Confederation of Yugoslavia, and confirmed it as a political-constitutional community of equal citizens and communities. It rejected Serbia’s 1989 amendments and decided that the Assembly and the political community it represented would be publicly named only as Kosovo. When Muharrem Shabani read the Declaration in front of the Assembly building, Kosovo publicly articulated its political position. Kosovo refused to be treated as a subordinate province, but demanded to be recognized as an independent and equal unit,” asserted Acting President Haxhiu. According to her, after July 2nd came September 7th, the Kaçanik Constitution, then the referendum for independence and all the organizations of the 1990s. She said that Kosovo tried to keep itself afloat with the institutions it created, with the Albanian school, with the university, with political life and with the citizens who refused to accept as permanent the injustice that had been imposed on them. “The political path of the 1990s took on its full meaning with the Kosovo Liberation Army. The KLA took upon itself the heaviest burden of our new history, the war for the liberation of the country. The sacrifice of the martyrs, the resistance of the fighters, the violence against civilians, the mass expulsion and ethnic cleansing made it clear to the world that Kosovo was not seeking political privilege, but freedom from oppression and organized state violence. After the KLA’s liberation war and the intervention of our allies, Kosovo entered a new political phase. On February 17th, 2008, it declared its Republic as an independent, sovereign and democratic state. That day sealed before the world a demand that had been formulated much earlier, in political decisions, in constitutional acts, in organization, in war and in sacrifice,” said Acting President Haxhiu. For this reason, according to Acting President President Haxhiu, July 2nd cannot remain on the sidelines of this history, it is the moment when Kosovo spoke on its own behalf and refused to let Serbia decide in its stead. “With the Constitutional Declaration, the demand for a Republic emerged from the political call and entered the institutional language of Kosovo’s representatives. Today, the Republic of Kosovo honors the delegates of July 2nd with deep and permanent gratitude. We honor those who are among us. We remember with respect those who are no longer alive”, emphasized Acting President Haxhiu. She further said that gratitude also belongs to their families, because politics, in such moments, does not only rest on documents. “It turns into fear within the home and anxiety for the person who has undertaken to say what the regime seeks to prohibit. The delegates of July 2nd had neither the comfort of a normal session, nor the security that a free state offers. In front of them was a regime that sought to transform violence into a constitutional order. This places their act at the political foundation of the Republic,” asserted Acting President Haxhiu. She further stated that today, as we remember July 2nd, we must keep the political meaning of that day clear. Acting President Haxhiu said that Kosovo refused to be spoken on its behalf by Serbia, refused to allow violence to become a constitutional order, refused to allow the will of the people to be replaced by the police and imposed amendments. “Today’s Republic honors July 2nd when it defends its sovereignty in every corner, when it keeps its institutions at the service of its citizens and when it makes it clear that its citizens decide for Kosovo. Permanent honor to the
Acting President Haxhiu’s address on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America
Dear Prime Minister Kurti Dear Charge D’affair Anu Pratipati Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Tonight, we celebrate 250 years of American independence. A number like that can easily become ceremony. In America’s case, it returns us to a revolution that began with a very concrete political question: who has the right to govern, and where does that right come from? The answer given in 1776 was radical for its time and remains demanding today. Power does not stand above the people. It receives its legitimacy from them, and it must be restrained by law, representation and equal citizenship. Today, these words belong to many democratic struggles. But they entered modern history through a revolution that challenged an empire. Albanians learned early that American principles mattered most when a nation’s future was being decided without its people in the room. At the Paris Peace Conference, after the First World War, Albania’s independence was exposed to the decisions of others. President Wilson gave the Albanian cause political force when he said, simply and decisively, “Albania ought to be independent.” By then, Albanian public life in America had learned how to organize, publish and argue its case before the world. In Boston, Fan Noli gave this history unusual force. An Orthodox priest who became one of the defining Albanian figures of the twentieth century, he was educated at Harvard, translated Shakespeare and Cervantes, organized Albanian public life in America, and later served as Prime Minister of Albania. Noli understood that language could become an institution before a state was strong enough to protect it. He helped turn an immigrant community into a national force. Faik Konica, a writer and diplomat whose strength was precision, gave this effort another kind of force. He had already used European journals to present the Albanian cause to the world as a political and cultural reality. In America, he worked through Vatra, the organization that gathered Albanians across the United States, and through Dielli, the newspaper that gave their cause a public voice. Later, as Albania’s representative in Washington, he carried that voice into official diplomacy. Through their work, America gave some of the strongest Albanian political minds of the twentieth century a public arena. Hasan Prishtina brings Kosova into this history. Born in Vushtrri, educated in Thessaloniki and Istanbul, and elected to the Ottoman parliament, he knew how easily small nations could be discussed by others and decided over by others. In the aftermath of the First World War, he gave Kosova’s voice its place within the broader Albanian demand for self-determination. Kosova was not yet a state, but the claim that would later define its modern history was already there. A people must have a say in its own future. Eight decades later, that claim returned under fire. When autonomy had been revoked, public life dismantled, and civilians forced from their homes, the right of a people to decide its future could no longer remain a matter of words. Under President Bill Clinton, with Secretary Madeleine Albright at the centre of American diplomacy, The United States stood (stud) at the forefront of NATO’s intervention, giving political and diplomatic force to the effort that stopped the violence and opened the path to Kosova’s freedom. For the people of Kosova, American leadership became part of our own national story as it changed the course of our history. That freedom became the Republic of Kosova. It took shape in institutions, elections, courts, security forces and a constitutional order that belongs to all its citizens. Two hundred and fifty years after American independence, we honour the United States first for the idea with which it began: that power must answer to the people. For Albanians, and for the Republic of Kosova today, that idea became real through history. It became real when American leadership helped turn the right to freedom from a claim into a future. Tonight, our congratulations come with the gratitude of a sovereign Republic. We remember that American support helped make our freedom possible, and we know that the best way to honour that support is to build a state worthy of it. Across generations, the friendship between Kosova and the United States has grown through citizens, institutions and the difficult work of defending freedom in public life. Whitman wrote that the United States are “the greatest poem.” Albanians found their line in that poem early, in newspapers, churches, associations, letters, public meetings and in the long work of making a small nation visible to a powerful country. We honour that friendship with gratitude, with memory, and with the responsibility to build a state worthy of the freedom we gained. Happy 250th Independence Day to the United States of America.
Acting President Haxhiu: US support became part of our national history
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, congratulated the United States of America on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of independence, emphasizing that US history and Albanian history have met at some of the most decisive moments for the freedom and self-determination of Albanians. In her address, U.S. President Haxhiu said that the 250th anniversary of the US independence draws attention to the fundamental political question that commenced the US Revolution: who has the right to govern and where this right comes from. “The answer given in 1776 was bold for its time and remains demanding even today. Power does not rest above the people. It derives its legitimacy from them and must be kept within the boundaries of law, representation, and equal citizenship,” said Acting President Haxhiu. She emphasized that Albanians understood early on the weight of US principles, especially at times when the fate of a nation was at risk of being decided without its presence. Recalling the Paris Peace Conference after World War I, Acting President Haxhiu mentioned the role of President Woodrow Wilson, who gave political strength to the Albanian cause with his stance that “Albania must be independent.” Acting President Haxhiu also spoke about Albanian public life in America, singling out Fan Noli and Faik Konica as two figures who turned the Albanian diaspora into a political, cultural and national voice. She said that in American Albanians established organizations, newspapers, associations and public spaces to defend the Albanian cause in the world. “Noli understood that language could become an institution even before the state was strong enough to defend it. He helped an immigrant community transform into a national force,” said Acting President Haxhiu. Speaking about Faik Konica, she emphasized that through Vatra, the newspaper Dielli and later the diplomatic representation in Washington, the Albanian issue gained public voice and entry into official diplomacy. In this story, Acting President Haxhiu also placed Hasan Prishtina as a figure who gave Kosovo a voice within the broader Albanian demand for self-determination. She said that, even though the state of Kosovo did not yet exist, the demand that would later define Kosovo’s modern history was already clear: a people must have its own say in its own future. Referring to the recent war in Kosovo, Acting President Haxhiu said that this demand returned in wartime circumstances, when autonomy was abolished, public life was suppressed and civilians were expelled from their homes. “Under the leadership of President Bill Clinton, with Secretary Madeleine Albright at the centre of the US diplomacy, the United States stood at the forefront of NATO’s intervention, lending political and diplomatic strength to the effort that stopped the war and opened Kosovo’s path to freedom. For the people of Kosovo, US leadership became part of our national history, because it changed its course,” said Acting President Haxhiu. She emphasized that Kosovo’s freedom took shape in the Republic, in institutions, elections, courts, security forces, and in a constitutional order that belongs to all its citizens. “For Albanians, and for the Republic of Kosovo today, this idea became tangible through history. It became tangible when the US leadership helped ensure that the right to freedom did not remain just a demand, but became the future,” said Acting President Haxhiu. In conclusion, Acting President Haxhiu said that Kosovo’s congratulations to the United States come with the gratitude of a sovereign Republic, which remembers that US support helped make Kosovo’s freedom possible. “We know that the best way to honour that support is to build a country worthy of it,” said Acting President Haxhiu. Quoting Walt Whitman, who wrote that the United States is “the most beautiful poem,” Acting President Haxhiu said that Albanians found their verse in that poem early on: in newspapers, churches, associations, letters, public gatherings, and in the long work of making a small nation visible to a powerful country. “We honour this friendship with gratitude, with remembrance, and with the responsibility to build a country worthy of the freedom we won. Happy 250th Anniversary of Independence, United States of America,” said Acting President Haxhiu.
Acting President Haxhiu received the Governor of the Central Bank of Kosovo, Ahmet Ismaili
Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, received today the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo, Ahmet Ismaili, who submitted the CBK Annual Report for 2025. The submission of the Report was made in compliance with the provisions of Articles 28 and 59 of Law 03/L-209 on the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo, which stipulate the obligation of the CBK to report to the Assembly as the highest representative institution of the country. On this occasion, Governor Ismaili informed Acting President Haxhiu about the content of the 2025 Annual Report, which reflects the activities, developments and results achieved by CBK in fulfilling its constitutional and legal mandate to maintain financial stability, strengthen the integrity of the financial system and ensure institutional sustainability. He emphasized that the country’s economy and financial system maintained stability during 2025, while the banking sector remained well-capitalized and highly liquid. Acting President Haxhiu praised the work of the Central Bank during 2025, emphasizing its contribution to maintaining the stability of the financial system, despite the challenges arising from economic and geopolitical developments at the international level. At this meeting, Acting President Haxhiu highly praised the independence and institutional integrity of the Central Bank, reiterating her commitment to building stable and accountable institutions.