Mr. Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister,
Minister of Defence,
Security Force General,
Distinguished Representatives of the Embassy of the United States of America and of
the US Army,
Representatives of the diplomatic corps,
All of you present, but above all Honourable officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo!
Honourable allies, who always stood by our side!
On this special day for each and every soldier of our force, I have the honour to, in the capacity of the supreme commander of our Forces, express my personal gratitude and that of the people of Kosovo for your extraordinary service to our homeland. Also, I want to express to you the immense joy that I see today the dream of every soldier, every citizen of the Republic of Kosovo enlivened, for which we have waited for decades, to one day see the army of our country side by side with our strategic allies, interacting with them and earning their praises. . Today, by demonstrating your professionalism together with the Allied armies, in particular with the United States Army, you are making each one of them proud.
But, on this special day, we would also like to express our gratitude to the armies of friendly countries, especially to the US military, which is making sure on a daily basis that our armed forces further develop professionally and transform into a professional military force which interacts with NATO forces to guarantee world peace. We want, therefore to loudly say today as we did yesterday, that beyond the happiness that the joint military demonstration brings us, the willingness to deepen the strategic partnership with our Western allies is unwavering.
Dear officers of our armed forces!
Dear soldiers!
22 years ago, dignified women and men of Kosovo led by the ideal of freedom, lined up under the emblem of the Kosovo Liberation Army and demonstrated our insistence to the gaining of freedom. They faced the savagery of a regime, even when they did not have enough resources as we have now. But they had the courage and determination to stand firm for the cause of freedom. Above all, they were fortunate enough to operate under the banner of a powerful alliance with the West, nurtured over the years with wisdom and patience. At that time, as today, we knew that by defending our homes, fighting for our freedom, we were defending the values ​​of universal freedom and contributed to their defence.
Today, 22 years later, we, their daughters and sons, veiled in the ideal of providing peace and stability for ourselves and others, have linked our goals with the commitment of our strategic partner, the United States, to secure freedom and to guarantee it. As a country and as a nation, our sole purpose and mission was that of protection of the homeland, of our liberty, always also respecting the freedoms of others. Our army has grown and developed upon this vision of the modern army, which you are making it happen every day with your professionalism. Capacity building, standardization and modernization of the army, as part of the comprehensive transition plan, today is receiving the stamp of support from our strategic partners. Therefore, I am happy to see how it is becoming not only a modern army but also a reliable partner of our allies, whose goals coincide with our strategic goals.
Dear soldiers!
The Kosovo Security Force is synonymous with our statehood, with the protection of the sovereignty and inviolability of the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. Our strength is the source from which our cohesive power derives in order to stand firmly by the freedom-loving people, committed to establishing and maintaining peace, stability and security, in close partnership with our strategic ally, the United States of America and other states. western, members of the alliance of free peoples. Today, when you are demonstrating this alliance through military interaction, you are also sealing our common destiny in the service of peace and our freedom-loving and determined spirit. While your members, as part of the same alliance, today are part of peacekeeping missions in hotspots around the world.
Finally, let me address you as a daughter of this country: for your service today, you will be remembered tomorrow and forever. Therefore, feel proud of what you have done for the country because the country will be able to breathe freely, living with the values of your work, just as you live with the value of the work of your fathers and the fathers of your fathers. Maintain friendships with the free world and strengthen them every day, for this is the feeling that emanates from the purity of our common soul.
Talk to your sons and daughters about their allies. Nurture the friendships in service to peace and freedom and avail peace to everyone!
God bless you!
God bless our armed forces!
God bless our Republic and our allies!
Honour to the fatherland!