President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, met today in London with the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague, ant at the same time host of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence at Conflict.
President Jahjaga initially congratulated Mr. Hague for the success of the Global Summit and for the inclusion of Kosovo in joint international endeavours to end sexual violence. She thanked Secretary Hague for the support he has provided for the National Council on the Survivors of Sexual Violence during the war in Kosovo, and stated that international documents, in particular the International Protocol, signed by all the participants of the London Summit, will become important documents which will help prevent and end sexual violence utilized as a tool of war.
President Jahjaga added that Kosovo requires support for the recognition of the cases of sexual violence during the war, as per UN chronology, and emphasized that to end the culture of impunity, it is necessary to have a regional approach in finding of the way for Serbia to start engaging with the crimes of this nature committed in the past.
Madam President stated that this is of great importance to Kosovo, asup to this day, there has not yet been one single conviction for rape during conflict.
President Jahjaga and Secretary Hague also discussed actual developments in Kosovo and its European perspective. Madam President stated that Kosovo has just concluded an important, comprehensive and democratic electoral process. President Jahjaga added that Kosovo has achieved advances, particularly in its European integrations path, by successful conclusion of the negotiations for the Stabilisation Association Agreement, building new relations with EU. Kosovo is also playing an important role in cooperation with its neighbours, inclusive of Republic of Serbia, with which state it has reached important agreements during the dialogue on normalisation of relations.
President Jahjaga said that agreements achieved must be implemented in fullness, as this eases the lives of citizens, and emphasized the necessity for complete disbanding of the illegal and parallel structures operating in the northern part of the territory of Republic of Kosovo.
She also added that institutions of Kosovo have paid particular importance to the building of the state of law, where law and order prevail.
United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague, thanked President Jahjaga for the support she has given to the Summit, and for her participation in its proceedings. Secretary Hague said that he has strongly supported the establishment of the National Council on the Survivors of Sexual Violence during the War in Kosovo, as a mechanism which helps victims of this kind of violence. He also added that he fully supports Kosovo in handling of the issue of sexual violence during the war, also through sending of a team of experts and trainers which will work with professional teams in Kosovo.
Secretary Hague said that he has followed closely the developments in Kosovo and congratulated Madam President on holding of free and democratic elections. Secretary Hague said that United Kingdom supports Kosovo and the whole region of western Balkans in their process of European integrations.