The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, congratulated the United States of America on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of independence, emphasizing that US history and Albanian history have met at some of the most decisive moments for the freedom and self-determination of Albanians.<\/p>\n
In her address, U.S. President Haxhiu said that the 250th anniversary of the US independence draws attention to the fundamental political question that commenced the US Revolution: who has the right to govern and where this right comes from.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe answer given in 1776 was bold for its time and remains demanding even today. Power does not rest above the people. It derives its legitimacy from them and must be kept within the boundaries of law, representation, and equal citizenship,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n
She emphasized that Albanians understood early on the weight of US principles, especially at times when the fate of a nation was at risk of being decided without its presence. Recalling the Paris Peace Conference after World War I, Acting President Haxhiu mentioned the role of President Woodrow Wilson, who gave political strength to the Albanian cause with his stance that \u201cAlbania must be independent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Acting President Haxhiu also spoke about Albanian public life in America, singling out Fan Noli and Faik Konica as two figures who turned the Albanian diaspora into a political, cultural and national voice. She said that in American Albanians established organizations, newspapers, associations and public spaces to defend the Albanian cause in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cNoli understood that language could become an institution even before the state was strong enough to defend it. He helped an immigrant community transform into a national force,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n
Speaking about Faik Konica, she emphasized that through Vatra, the newspaper Dielli and later the diplomatic representation in Washington, the Albanian issue gained public voice and entry into official diplomacy.<\/p>\n
In this story, Acting President Haxhiu also placed Hasan Prishtina as a figure who gave Kosovo a voice within the broader Albanian demand for self-determination. She said that, even though the state of Kosovo did not yet exist, the demand that would later define Kosovo\u2019s modern history was already clear: a people must have its own say in its own future.<\/p>\n
Referring to the recent war in Kosovo, Acting President Haxhiu said that this demand returned in wartime circumstances, when autonomy was abolished, public life was suppressed and civilians were expelled from their homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder the leadership of President Bill Clinton, with Secretary Madeleine Albright at the centre of the US diplomacy, the United States stood at the forefront of NATO\u2019s intervention, lending political and diplomatic strength to the effort that stopped the war and opened Kosovo\u2019s path to freedom. For the people of Kosovo, US leadership became part of our national history, because it changed its course,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n
She emphasized that Kosovo\u2019s freedom took shape in the Republic, in institutions, elections, courts, security forces, and in a constitutional order that belongs to all its citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Albanians, and for the Republic of Kosovo today, this idea became tangible through history. It became tangible when the US leadership helped ensure that the right to freedom did not remain just a demand, but became the future,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n
In conclusion, Acting President Haxhiu said that Kosovo\u2019s congratulations to the United States come with the gratitude of a sovereign Republic, which remembers that US support helped make Kosovo\u2019s freedom possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that the best way to honour that support is to build a country worthy of it,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n
Quoting Walt Whitman, who wrote that the United States is \u201cthe most beautiful poem,\u201d Acting President Haxhiu said that Albanians found their verse in that poem early on: in newspapers, churches, associations, letters, public gatherings, and in the long work of making a small nation visible to a powerful country.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe honour this friendship with gratitude, with remembrance, and with the responsibility to build a country worthy of the freedom we won. Happy 250th Anniversary of Independence, United States of America,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, congratulated the United States of America on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of independence, emphasizing that US history and Albanian history have met at some of the most decisive moments for the freedom and self-determination of Albanians. In her address, U.S. President Haxhiu said that the 250th anniversary of the US independence draws attention to the fundamental political question that commenced the US Revolution: who has the right to govern and where this right comes from. \u201cThe answer given in 1776 was bold for its time and remains demanding even today. Power does not rest above the people. It derives its legitimacy from them and must be kept within the boundaries of law, representation, and equal citizenship,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu. She emphasized that Albanians understood early on the weight of US principles, especially at times when the fate of a nation was at risk of being decided without its presence. Recalling the Paris Peace Conference after World War I, Acting President Haxhiu mentioned the role of President Woodrow Wilson, who gave political strength to the Albanian cause with his stance that \u201cAlbania must be independent.\u201d Acting President Haxhiu also spoke about Albanian public life in America, singling out Fan Noli and Faik Konica as two figures who turned the Albanian diaspora into a political, cultural and national voice. She said that in American Albanians established organizations, newspapers, associations and public spaces to defend the Albanian cause in the world. \u201cNoli understood that language could become an institution even before the state was strong enough to defend it. He helped an immigrant community transform into a national force,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu. Speaking about Faik Konica, she emphasized that through Vatra, the newspaper Dielli and later the diplomatic representation in Washington, the Albanian issue gained public voice and entry into official diplomacy. In this story, Acting President Haxhiu also placed Hasan Prishtina as a figure who gave Kosovo a voice within the broader Albanian demand for self-determination. She said that, even though the state of Kosovo did not yet exist, the demand that would later define Kosovo\u2019s modern history was already clear: a people must have its own say in its own future. Referring to the recent war in Kosovo, Acting President Haxhiu said that this demand returned in wartime circumstances, when autonomy was abolished, public life was suppressed and civilians were expelled from their homes. \u201cUnder the leadership of President Bill Clinton, with Secretary Madeleine Albright at the centre of the US diplomacy, the United States stood at the forefront of NATO\u2019s intervention, lending political and diplomatic strength to the effort that stopped the war and opened Kosovo\u2019s path to freedom. For the people of Kosovo, US leadership became part of our national history, because it changed its course,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu. She emphasized that Kosovo\u2019s freedom took shape in the Republic, in institutions, elections, courts, security forces, and in a constitutional order that belongs to all its citizens. \u201cFor Albanians, and for the Republic of Kosovo today, this idea became tangible through history. It became tangible when the US leadership helped ensure that the right to freedom did not remain just a demand, but became the future,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu. In conclusion, Acting President Haxhiu said that Kosovo\u2019s congratulations to the United States come with the gratitude of a sovereign Republic, which remembers that US support helped make Kosovo\u2019s freedom possible. \u201cWe know that the best way to honour that support is to build a country worthy of it,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu. Quoting Walt Whitman, who wrote that the United States is \u201cthe most beautiful poem,\u201d Acting President Haxhiu said that Albanians found their verse in that poem early on: in newspapers, churches, associations, letters, public gatherings, and in the long work of making a small nation visible to a powerful country. \u201cWe honour this friendship with gratitude, with remembrance, and with the responsibility to build a country worthy of the freedom we won. Happy 250th Anniversary of Independence, United States of America,\u201d said Acting President Haxhiu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":190415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-190421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n