President Osmani commemorates the hero Luan Haradinaj
27 years ago, in a stoic confrontation with the forces of the Serbian genocidal regime, Luan Haradinaj fell heroically, just before the freedom arrived, which the KLA fighter and fellow fighters had as an ideal and inherited from generations, demonstrating dedication, sacrifice and courage. Luan and the Haradinaj family gave a lot for the freedom of Kosovo, becoming an emblem of our freedom, and will be honored forever. Hero Luan, fought for the freedom of Kosovo and fell a hero on the border between Kosovo and Albania. On this anniversary, we bow to Luan’s heroic deed with fellow fighters of the KLA and honor all our martyrs, who made our freedom possible. May the memory of Luan and all those who fell on the altar of freedom be eternal!
President Osmani commemorates academician Fehmi Aganin on the anniversary of his assassination
Twenty-five years ago, Kosovo lost academician Fehmi Agan, the intellectual, the visionary, the philosopher and the pious man, who dedicated his whole life to freedom and independence. The forces of the Serbian genocidal regime on May 6th, 1999, ruthlessly killed academician Agani, the right hand of the historic President Dr. Ibrahim Rugova. But they failed to kill his ideal of life, the freedom of the people and the independence of the state. The vision of the unifier Agani will always guide us in the journey to strengthen the state and the Euro-Atlantic goal. Bringing the perpetrators of the crime to justice is our constant commitment, and the remembrance of academician Agani is eternal!
President Osmani has departed on an official visit to Texas- USA, will be participating in the USA-Africa Summit
The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, departed on an official visit to Texas, USA. During her visit to this country, President Osmani, at the invitation of the American Government respectively the Millennium Challenge Corporation – MCC, will participate in the US-Africa Summit, where she will deliver a speech and is expected to hold meetings with counterparts from several African countries. President Osmani in Texas will also hold meetings with the leaders of the state of Texas, other senior officials of this state and senior state officials of American institutions and representatives of the American Congress. On President Osmani’s agenda is also the participation and address at the ceremony in honor of the 20th anniversary of the MCC activities, where Madam President will express her gratitude for the contribution made by this organization to support Kosovo in the direction of economic development and the energy sector, as is the case with the Compact Program worth 236 million dollars, which was launched a few days ago. President Osmani will also be welcomed by the Texas National Guard, where she will meet with soldiers who have served in Kosovo. President Osmani will deliver a lecture at the World Affairs Council and will hold a conversation on Kosovo and its journey over the years in terms of integration into international institutions and organizations. Visits to several Texas cities are also planned in President Osmani’s programme. During her stay in Texas, President Osmani will be accompanied by a business delegation led by the American Chamber of Commerce. These businesses will have a round table with American businesses to explore cooperation opportunities as well as other meetings with American officials in the field of economy and trade. During her visit to Texas, President Osmani will also meet with the Albanian diaspora at the Albanian-American Cultural Center.
President Osmani congratulates Orthodox Easter
Today Orthodox believers celebrate Easter. May this holiday bring joy to Orthodox believers and hope for peace and harmony among people around the world. Orthodox Easter is part of Kosovo’s tradition of celebrating holidays in the spirit of understanding, tolerance and mutual respect. May hope, faith and optimism for peace, harmony and good health take place this holiday in every family of Orthodox believers. Happy Orthodox Easter!
President Osmani’s statement on World Press Freedom Day
Freedom of the press is a basic human right, crucial to democracy and truth. On World Press Freedom Day we support and encourage journalists, as well as reaffirm our commitment to protect their right to report without fear and censorship, as well as to protect their safety when they report from places where there is a lack of security. As it was demonstrated after Serbia’s aggression attack on September 24th 2023, and the following the attack, the role and reporting of the media has been key in order for the institutions of Kosovo to be able to show to the world the truth related to the attack. In a time of information overload and when peace and stability in the world and in our region are being threatened, the fight against fake news and disinformation has never been more urgent. Fake news undermines democracy and peace and in certain cases the safety of citizens and national security, so the need to oppose them is greater than ever and in function of protecting the truth. We must fight this battle together, institutions, journalists and civil society, because only together can we maintain an environment where the truth prevails over fake news and where the media is free to fulfill its role as a defender of democracy and the right of citizens to be well informed.
President Osmani’s address at the commemorative academy of the 25th anniversary of the Studime, Vushtrri massacre
Dear families of Studime and all of Vushtrri, Honourable Prime Minister Kurti, Honourable Mayor Mr. Idrizi, Honourable leaders of political parties, Honourable members of parliament, Honourable ministers, Honourable family of former President Thaçi, Honourable representatives of the Kosovo Security Force, Kosovo Police, ministers, and above all, families of the martyrs of Studime, families of martyrs, of martyrs, as well as associations that emerged from the KLA war, On the 25th anniversary of the Studime Massacre, we are here again to commemorate the 116 civilians, including many children and pregnant women, whom the machinery of the Serbian genocidal regime killed within two hours only because they were Albanians. It is difficult to find words to adequately express the depth of grief that all of us in Kosovo feel for the lives lost, for the families that were affected by this barbaric act. As a state and a nation, we still have to deal with open wounds and unbearable pain, because unfortunately, in almost every municipality of Kosovo, in every city and in every village, just like here in Studime, our citizens have experienced terrible massacres, where the cruelty of the Serbian occupier went beyond human imagination. Such atrocities are powerful evidence of how necessary our fight for freedom was. They are powerful evidence of our right and of the confirmation of the universally recognized fact that Kosovo was a victim of aggression, while chauvinistic Serbia was the aggressor, that Serbia committed the crimes, while Kosovo was defending itself. We will defend this truth anywhere and anytime, because our liberation war was a war for freedom, a war to protect the right to our dignity, to protect our home, just as every martyr, every hero and every fighter of the Kosovo Liberation Army did, led by the legendary commander, Adem Jashari. On this anniversary of the Studime Massacre, we stand with the families of the 116 martyrs, because they are the grief of all of Kosovo, and at the same time they are our common obligation, to ensure that justice be served. Our fight for justice is not over yet. Unfortunately, because we are facing a Serbia with the mentality of the Milosevic era. But, I am convinced that all of us together will win this confrontation again, because the truth is on our side, and justice will be served, no matter how long it is delayed. May 2nd, 1999 was a terrible day for Studime, because the criminal Serbian regime, in a state operation, brutally executed innocent Albanians, many of whom were executed at close range and in cold blood. Wherever we go in Kosovo, and especially here in Studime, we hear the stories of mothers who tell us the same thing, the way their children were taken from their laps, the way their children were torn from their hands. Indescribable pain, but at the same time, a motivation for each of us to never give up in our fight for justice. Therefore, in this battle, historical memory is our most powerful weapon. It testifies to the atrocities committed in the name of tyranny and oppression and obliges us to hold the perpetrators accountable for their crimes. By defending and sharing the truth, we honour the memory of those who have fallen, and ensure that this truth is passed down from generation to generation, so that such crimes will never be repeated. Today we also honour the heroic struggle of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the brave men and women who stood on the front lines of the battle for the freedom of our people. They stood steadfast in their commitment to the cause of liberation, many of whom gave their lives for the noble ideal of freedom. Their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering determination serve as an inspiration to us all, reminding us that freedom is not given, but is earned through struggle, sacrifice, and unwavering determination. And although the wounds of war and the terrible day in Studime will never fully heal, the spirit of the people here remains unbroken. The study has now been resurrected as the residents, along with the hope for justice, look to the future and lead Kosovo forward. Despite the unimaginable pain that our citizens have gone through, both the study and all of Kosovo, keep the pain for their loved ones fresh, as we all work together for an ever free and developed Kosovo. We will always remember the martyrs, we will never forget them, just as we will remember all those who fell for the freedom of Kosovo. Glory be to the eternal memory of the martyrs of the study and all those who fell for freedom!
President Osmani paid homage and participated in the Memorial Academy held on the anniversary of the Studime massacre
The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani paid homage and participated in the Memorial Academy held on the anniversary of the Studime of Vushtrri massacre. In her address to the participants, President Osmani among other things potentiated that: Words cannot adequately express the sorrow we feel for the 116 lives of the residents of Studime, lost through this barbaric act perpetrated by the forces of the Serbian genocidal regime. Although the wounds of war gained on that fateful day in Studime may never fully heal, the spirit of the residents remains unbroken. Studime has already been revived, and the residents, along with the hope for justice, look towards the future. We will remember the martyrs forever so that they are not forgotten, just as we will remember all the massacres in Kosovo!
President Osmani’s speech at the solemn session in honor of the fall of the KLA commander, Ilaz Kodra and the 315 martyrs who fell on April 30, 1999 in Drenicë
Honourable Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Konjufca, Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic, Mr. Kurti, Honourable members of the government cabinet, Honourable members of parliament, Honourable Kodra family, Honourable families of martyrs and of the fallen, Honourable associations that emerged from the Kosovo Liberation Army war, Honourable participants, Today we have gathered to honor and remember the commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army for the Drenica operational area, the hero of Kosovo Ilaz Kodra, as well as the 315 martyrs and fallen who fell on April 30, 1999, in Drenica. 25 years ago, the villages of Vërboc, Shtuticë, Tërstenik, Dashec, Baks and Gllobar were subjected to the brutality of the genocidal regime of Serbia, in an offensive whose sole purpose was the extermination of Albanians and the ethnic cleansing of Albanians from Kosovo. The inhabitants of these villages were defended by the Kosovo Liberation Army, led by the hero Ilaz Kodra and his comrades, who with bravery and courage resisted until sacrifice. The comrade-in-arms of the legendary commander Adem Jashari, Ilaz Kodra, in this effort to protect the civilian population and to protect Kosovo from the genocidal regime of Milosheviq, fell heroically on the battlefield along with 42 fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The hero Ilaz Kodra followed the ideal of Commander Adem, considering freedom as a non-negotiable and sublime value of his people, and for that cause he was immortalized. Ilaz Kodra had forged the dream of freedom early on, because since his youth he had been involved in patriotic activity for freedom and for the state. As a devoted patriot, he became the right hand of Commander Adem Jashari, so together with him and many other comrades-in-arms not only founded the nuclei of the Kosovo Liberation Army, but also conducted military training in Albania to be ready to defend the homeland. Ilaz Kodra just as he began his patriotic activity and ended it. By defending our dignity and national identity. His cause was freedom, so he fell for freedom and for the state. It is said that a warrior does not return home, but is immortalized for freedom, and Ilaz did not return to his home, but a free and independent Kosovo was and remained his permanent home, the home for which he gave his life. Heroes like Ilaz Kodra and all the KLA martyrs who fell in those days and throughout our entire liberation war, are more than just bronze statues through which we commemorate them. They are our eternal memory, they are the foundation on which our state was built, they are our pride and they are the inspiration and guide of our every action. They remind us of the highest ideals of honour, duty and sacrifice, and therefore inspire us every day to move forward. Their bravery, sacrifice and unwavering dedication to the cause of liberation are forever etched in our hearts and minds, and we will ensure that it remains so for the generations to come. In the face of the criminal regime of Serbia, Ilaz Kodra and his comrades stood firm to fight for the ideals of freedom, justice and state dignity. They proved that even in the darkest times, light triumphs. They proved that against tyranny, courage and determination to defend the homeland and freedom always triumph. They proved that the fight for freedom was our right, we defended the threshold of the house, we defended Kosovo, we defended the dignity of our people. So today, thanks to Ilaz Kodra and over 3 thousand martyrs of the KLA, we are free, we are in our home, we are in our Republic, a sovereign and independent state. They are proof of our just struggle and the reaffirmation of our truth, that in the 90s Kosovo was a victim of Serbian aggression, while Serbia was the aggressor. We will always speak and defend this truth, and we will work hard to ensure that justice is done. Hero Ilaz Kodra and other KLA martyrs will continue to be not only guides, but also inspirations on how the homeland should be loved and should be defended. We will preserve their legacy with pride and determination, just like the freedom for which they fell. Glory to all KLA martyrs! May the memory of hero Ilaz Kodra be eternal, as well as all martyrs and those who fell for the freedom of Kosovo!
President Osmani commemorated the 32 martyrs of Nabërgjan, Pejë
25 years ago, the forces of the Serbian genocidal regime massacred 32 civilians of Nabërgjan, Pejë, their aim being the extermination of the Albanian population. They did not achieve this chauvinistic goal, and now the rebuilt Nabërgjani is still waiting for justice. Truth and justice are our obligation to the victims and their families. May the memory be eternal for all those who fell for freedom!
President Vjosa Osmani’s address at the official launch ceremony of the Compakt program
