Prishtinë, 4 dhjetor 2025
Kryeministri në detyrë i Republikës së Kosovës, Albin Kurti, mori pjesë këtë mbrëmje në pritjen e organizuar me rastin e Ditës së Pavarësisë së Finlandës, nga ambasada finlandeze në Kosovë.
Në fjalën e tij të rastit, kryeministri shprehu se Kosova e sheh Finlandën si shembull dhe model, ndërkohë që së bashku ndajmë të njëjtat vlera dhe prioritete. “Si ne, ajo njeh rëndësinë e mirëqenies sociale. Dhe, ashtu si Kosova, Finlanda nuk zgjedh sigurinë mbi mirëqenien, ajo i përqafon të dyja”, tha kryeministri Kurti.
Ai vlerësoi edhe qëndrimin e Finlandës në anën e drejtë të historisë, në mbështetje të Ukrainës në luftën e tyre kundrejt agresionit rus. “Që nga viti 2022, ajo ka ndarë 3.9 miliardë euro në mbështetje të Ukrainës. Finlanda është e përkushtuar ndaj sigurisë së saj, ashtu si ne.”
Fjala e plotë e kryeministrit Kurti në gjuhën angleze:
Your Excellency Eevamari Laaksonen, ambassador of Finland to Kosova,
Dear members of Parliament and Government,
Dear ambassadors and other diplomats, soldiers and officers of Finland in Kosova,
Dear participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to be here today. Our friendship spans decades and exceeds accross different levels of government as well. I have enjoyed great cooperation with Finland’s ambassadors, welcomed delegations here and met representatives of Finland in conference rooms around the world.
In all of these meetings, I have found that we share a lot, including a warm-heartedness.
Finland, of course, leads the way where Kosova aspires to go. It joined NATO in 2023 and is an important voice on the world stage. It has been an independent country for over a century—since 1917—defending its independence twice against the Soviet Union.
Finland aligns closely with us in principles and priorities. It stands on the right side of history: since 2022, it has allocated 3.9 billion euros in support of Ukraine. Finland is committed to its own security, just as we are. A recent survey showed that 80% of Finns express a readiness to stand up for their country in case of an aggression.
Just as we do, it recognizes the importance of social welfare. And, like Kosova, Finland does not choose security over welfare, it embraces both.
Personally, I am drawn to the down-to-earth quality of the Finnish people that embraces the essentials of a happy society. When the World Happiness Report came out, President Stubb said in a social media post: “Life is never perfect and no one can be happy all the time, and sometimes circumstance makes it difficult. But getting the basics right – security, freedom and equality – is a good start.”
We echo that sentiment. This is not a ceiling on ambition but a grounding in what truly matters.
There is another concept I think we relate to: “sisu”, a term for resilience, which has increasingly fascinated the rest of the world as it spends years trying to decipher the reasons behind the world’s happiest country. Both of us have endured aggression and enjoy democratic and thriving societies who have resiliently built despite of it.
We are not all the same, of course. Your number of saunas exceeds our entire population, possibly including our diaspora, even though I’m not completely sure, depending on whose estimates you consider. I will not say more, because so close to the election you might see a post on social media claiming: “Kurti government, one full term, not a single public sauna.”
But these differences are the charming details. What truly bonds us—the principles we uphold, the priorities we share, the spirit we carry—is far greater than what separates us.
Thank you very much, gëzuar, cheers, kiitos!
