Prishtina, 5 March, 2024
In the framework of the program of the state manifestation marking the 26th anniversary of the Epopee of the Liberation Army of Kosovo, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, participated in the ceremony of lining up the ranks of the Kosovo Security Force, which was held in the Barracks “Adem Jashari”.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Honorable President of the Republic of Kosovo, Mrs. Vjosa Osmani Sadriu,
The Honorable Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Mr. Glauk Konjufca,
Dear Mr. Rifat Jashari,
Dear Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and MPs,
Honorable Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari,
Excellencies ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of friendly countries,
Dear families of the nation’s martyrs,
Dear invalids and veterans of the liberation war,
Dear soldiers of the Kosovo Security Force,
Dear partners of international and local organizations,
Dear citizens of the Republic,
Ladies and gentleman,
Sisters and brothers,
As in every March, we are here in one of the most appropriate places for remembering and understanding the KLA Epopee. This place has the right name and the right people. In a country of liberators, the army is the right place to commemorate the Epopee.
We know our history. We value our history because it is dense in names and deeds. We honor our history because we recognize it in the entirety of society, wherever we go in the world with our history in our hearts, within every threshold in our families here and in our exile wherever it is. We are many because we carry famous names in our minds. Everyone is more than themselves, and what we are more than ourselves brings us all together. This gives us faith and belief, life and hope. Many of you are sons of martyrs and fighters, or resistance fighters in Yugoslav and Serbian prisons.
Dear soldiers,
Now the era is speaking differently. First, because we are an independent country and have our own army. We are the state of a people who are always freedom-loving and defenders of the camp of justice, the state of a society that aims at the western and democratic development of freedoms. We are part of a nation that defends with its army the idea and practice of justice and freedom. And there is no greater glory in this human life than standing on the side of justice and freedom.
Second, because the era and world consciousness are changing. It is being understood everywhere in the powerful offices that condoning injustice never brings peace, but it’s opposite, the corruption of societies and war between peoples. Peace and injustice cannot coexist.
Peace must be stable and long-term to enable peoples to bring out their best. You must see and value yourselves as one body and one mind, as an army added to the societies that defend democracy and peace. We adhere to a refined ideal of the Epopee and the Jasharaj. And those who stick to a pure ideal always come out victorious. This is the spirit of the KLA Epopee. And for this we should all be proud and aware. Wise men, this is the motto: courage is bravery and knowledge. The education of the soldier must be complete, it must be courage. Because the military protects an entire nation. The military is the expression of the conscious defense of the vision of an entire people, in its eternal right. Even more so when the people belong to a society and the state from the side of the camp of justice and democracy.
Dear soldiers, you are a clear expression of our seriousness in the international arena.
The global stage will always offer us crisis situations and corrupt states. We must offer courage and honesty to the global stage. Because this is our only service for our state future and general peace. The more we offer our quality institutional and state behavior, the more the alliances will be stable and convincing.
The European states, on the continent to which we belong, are realizing the danger more clearly than ever. The largest military alliance in history is emerging in themes and strategies. We are actively participating in this direction. Our goal for membership in NATO has been made clear publicly by our government and we are taking daily steps towards the goal. This goal has been announced more than ever with open government support for the modernization and growth of our military.
The army we have is stronger than ever. In 2023, the defense budget was the highest ever, over 200 million euros, or more than 2% of the Gross Domestic Product, which is a NATO criterion.
We have increased the number of soldiers by adding 1852 new soldiers in the past two years and we have planned another 600 for this year. We have also increased investments in armaments, even by almost three times. We are equipped with the Bayraktar Combat Drone, and we are also equipping it with the “Javelin” anti-tank missile system, while we have quadrupled the training abroad for you, dear soldiers.
The increase of defense capacities will be the high priority of the Ministry of Defense this year as well, in addition to international cooperation with friends, partners and allies.
Dear attendees, dear soldiers,
A state has the necessity of diplomacy, but also of its army. The case of Ukraine has revealed the simple fact to the entire West. The degeneration of societies can take the form of dictatorships, losing the possibility of dialogue based on values. Dialogue takes place on the same values, principles and beliefs in humanity. We know that democracy and its triumph have a vital need not only for economic harmony, but also for the harmony of political and democratic principles. No delay in the political principles of democracy can be solved by trade exchanges and business contracts.
Democracy is not protected by commercial and financial friendships with non-democratic states. Because a day comes and autocratic and oligarchic states do not use economic enrichment for the well-being of their own people, and use it to threaten other peoples. We have always known and have repeatedly said that peace must be served daily. The vigilance of principles and the protection of the virtues of democratic institutions is the daily work of all of us, each and every one of us.
We strongly hope and believe that the most powerful states of the West have already realized that they must protect democracy and peace, justice and freedom at all costs. And in the field of the fight for freedom and in peace with democracy we are a model. The name of your barracks testifies more gloriously than ever to our joint enterprise.
Glory to Commander-in-Chief Adem Jashari, the Jashari family, the Kosovo Liberation Army, the nation’s martyrs and all defenders of justice, past and present, dead and alive!
The highest honor: for our homeland and army!
Thank you.
Last modified: March 6, 2024