President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, during her stay in Panama, upon an invitation by President Ricardo Martinelli, is declared an Honorary Citizen of Panama City and presented with the Keys of this city.
The Honorary Citizen Award was bestowed to President Jahjaga at a ceremony organised by the Mayor of Panama City, Ms. Roxana Méndes de Obarrio, who’s award decision states that “Keys of the City and the title of Honorary Citizen are awarded to President Jahjaga for the representation and presentation of the Republic of Kosovo on the international stage and the contribution to international consolidation and recognitions of the country”.
The ceremony was also attended by diplomatic representatives, among which, the Ambassador of Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen An Duy, Ambassador of Italy, Mr. Giancarlo Maria Curcio, Ambassador of Panama to Netherlands, accredited to Kosovo on non-residential basis, Mr. Jose Manuel Teran Sitton, as well as the charge d’affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo to Panama, Ms. Zana Rudi.
After the Honorary Citizen title award and presentation with the Keys to the Panama City, President Jahjaga said:
Honourable Mayor Roxana Méndes de Obarrio,
Honourable Ambassadors and members of the Diplomatic Corps in Panama,
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you for making me part of you city, Panama City. I am exceptionally honoured with the amicability which you are showing, as this means a lot not only to me but also to the whole nation of Kosovo. I thank you, with utmost sincerity, and accept with particular honour the Keys and the title of Honorary Citizen of Panama City.
I am honoured to, upon an invitation of President Martinelli, visit your country and be able to see from a close perspective this exceptional city, with an old tradition, a symbol of culture and development, of progress and economy. A city which intertwines the old with the new, which values tradition and puts it in function of development.
I would like to assure you that the honour which you bestowed upon me today, carries a great value for both our nations, and demonstrates that our countries, irrespective of the fact that they lie in different parts of the world, are building friendship based on mutual understanding.
I would like to express my deep gratitude for such a warm hospitality of the citizens of Panama, in whom I saw values also shared by the citizens of my country, values of a democratic and developed world.
These values of democratic world are today also represented by my country, which has foreclosed a history of violence and war of not longer than 15 years ago, transforming itself today into a country of tolerance, , understanding and all inclusiveness of its citizens.
Republic of Kosovo, which declared its independence 6 years ago, is a success story of its citizens and its institutions on one side and the international community on the other, an important factor of peace and stability not only in the Balkan region, but also beyond it.
We are a small country in South Eastern Europe, dedicated to establishment of amicable relations with countries all around the world, and our friendship with Panama, which is one of the first countries of Central America to recognise my country, symbolises the recognition of common values of our societies and a guarantee to a better and all inclusive world.
Our two counties are showing how possible it is to build friendship and how viable it can be when based upon mutual respect and understanding.
Therefore Kosovo and Panama have what to offer to each other. The exchange of values of the societies of both countries and cooperation in all fields of mutual interest.
I would like to express a particular gratitude to you Mayor Mendes. You are showing that you are an example of good and responsible governance, standing close to the citizens and offering them equal opportunities and access to services which ensure a dignified life, as deserved by any citizen of the world.
I reiterate again that friendship between our two countries will be continuous and rely on the dedication for its further strengthening.