The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Atifete Jahjaga, met in Washington with the chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee for Europe, Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
President Jahjaga and Senator Shaheen discussed about the developments in Kosovo, the processes through which the country is passing and its challenges and about the role that the NATO forces play for the security in Kosovo and the entire region. President Jahjaga stressed that the United States have played a major role in the liberation of Kosovo and in all stages of its state building.
She said that Kosovo is an independent state with guaranteed territorial integrity and a state of equal citizens regardless of ethnicity. President Jahjaga stressed that Kosovo is successfully completing the supervision phase of its independence and assessed that the international military presence of NATO is still needed to ensure a quiet and safe environment. This also affects the situation in the three municipalities in northern Kosovo.
The institutions of Kosovo support KFOR in the establishment of order and peace in this part of the country, where illegal and criminal structures, supported by the Republic of Serbia, are challenging the achievements and the institutions of the country and are holding hostage the local Serb population.
President Jahjaga stressed that it is requested from the local Serb population to distance themselves from the illegal structures and to remove the barricades on the road to allow free circulation of people and goods as well as to get integrated in the local and central institutions of the Republic of Kosovo.
Senator Shaheen gave support to the overall development of Kosovo, the path of Euro-Atlantic integration and the development of democratic processes.