Prishtina, May 3, 2018 – The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, has opened the fifth annual conference of the International Association of Language Commissioners.
President Thaçi has thanked all the local and international participants for their contribution offered to the protection and promotion of language rights.
“Kosovo considers its ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity as a source of strength and wealth for the further development of a democratic society based on the rule of law. The citizens of Kosovo have the right to freely cultivate, express and develop their culture and identity and to preserve and improve the essential elements of their identity, especially the religion, language, traditions and cultural heritage. Language rights are important for a democratic society”, stated President Thaçi, adding that they are an integral part of preserving cultural identity and the prevention of marginalization and discrimination.
The Head of State has said that the education in the languages of non-majority communities, their use in the media, public administration and judiciary is vital for a democratic country.
“Kosovo has created the right conditions to enable all citizens to freely cultivate, express and develop their language identities by guaranteeing these rights through the Constitution and the Law on the Use of Languages”, he said.
President Thaçi has said that as a new state, Kosovo has the most advanced linguistic legislation in the Balkans and hopes it shall be a model for other neighboring states as well.
“Without a doubt our country is a good example of peace and reconciliation, an example of dialogue and building of good interethnic relations. For a new country, these achievements accomplished within such a short time are quite encouraging”, he declared.
But, despite this, President Thaçi has said that we must work with the same dedication and professionalism in order to ensure the highest level of implementation of language rights and human rights in general.
President Thaçi has expressed the conviction that this conference will help in overcoming the challenges for the protection and promotion of language rights both in Kosovo and in other countries with a multilingual character.