Prishtina, 24 April 2009
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, met today with former members of the “Atlantic” battalion of the Kosovo Liberation Army, on the 10th anniversary of the founding of the battalion.
The following is the full statement of Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi after the meeting.
It was a particular pleasure to meet my former comrades, my friends, the people of the “Atlantic” battalion, a battalion which played a very important role in the war in Kosovo, in the war for freedom and liberation, in the war for the state of Kosovo. All these people sacrificed for the freedom that we enjoy.
The arrival of the “Atlantic” battalion from the United States of America to fight in Kosovo during the NATO bombardment and earlier than that, was a good message that the KLA war, the war of the people of Kosovo; was a war of all Albanians, wherever they lived, who wanted to help and to sacrifice for freedom and democratic order.
The arrival of the ‘Atlantic’ battalion from the USA, of our Diaspora, to fight in Kosovo was also a message for the democratic world, for the United States of America, for the European Union, for NATO, for everyone; that Albanians would spare nothing in their fight to remove Serbia from Kosovo.
Today, Kosovo is an independent, sovereign and democratic state, it has been recognized by 58 states and other recognitions are expected soon. Kosovo is a country of new successes, of a future of integration in NATO and the European Union.
In addition, Albanians have achieved another success because Albania is now in NATO. When the war was taking place; Kosovo was occupied, Serbia was committing genocide in Kosovo, and as we were fighting for freedom; Albania was in institutional chaos.
So, if we remember where we were ten years ago, in Kosovo and also in Albania, we can say that our achievements have been extraordinary. And great merit goes to those people with whom I met today.
[The representative of the KLA “Atlantic” battalion, Skender Doçi, emphasized the following].
We feel proud to be here today together with you, experiencing the great results which Kosovo has achieved during these ten years of building the country.
We have two joys: that the day has came when we could see Kosovo independent and being led with the competency and dignity of those who fought for her.
