Prishtina, 27 November, 2023
In the premises of the Albanology Institute, in a joint organization with the “Movement” Society and under the auspices of the Prime Minister of the Republic, an academy was held today to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the 1968 demonstrations.
Prime Minister Kurti, unable to be present, delivered his speech in written form, which was read by the Government’s spokesperson, Përparim Kryeziu, during the academy.
Below is the complete word:
Dear members of the Association of Political Prisoners of Kosovo
Dear co-organizer Society “Levizja”,
Dear men and women, participants in the demonstrations of 1968,
Ladies and gentleman,
Dear attendees,
All the events of importance for the history of Albanians that happened in the second half of November are naturally remembered under the sign of November 28, the date of the anniversary of Albania’s independence. Since then, in 1912, 111 years ago, when the Albanian state was created outside of whose territorial space remained 2/3 of the inhabited areas with an Albanian majority, basically, Albanians have asked for only one thing: the right to self-determination!
Even at the Peace Conference in Paris in 1919, where one of Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points was precisely the right of peoples to self-determination, and in 1943 and 1944 respectively in the Assembly of Bujan, where self-determination was also requested and until the creation and consolidation of Republic of Kosovo, where the concept of “self-determination” became the name and denominator of a political entity: the VETËVENDOSJE Movement!
It was like this 55 years ago, in 1968, when the youth of Kosovo rose up in a wave of demonstrations demanding self-determination and more rights for Albanians in Yugoslavia. Last month, on October 19, we remembered the demonstrations of 1968 in Peja. Today, we remember the demonstrations of November 27, 1968 in Pristina, Podujevë, Gjilan and Ferizaj. It was these demonstrations that advanced Kosovo’s status as an autonomous province that brought the University of Pristina, the right to use the flag and other political and cultural rights, albeit partial and limited. Five decades and five years since then, the world order has changed radically, the geopolitics of the region and the continent have evolved a lot and the political processes that Kosovo is going through are completely different. However, today’s generations and those to come must recognize the power of the link that represents the demonstrations of 1968, in the long chain of Kosovo’s political history. Because without the demonstrations of 1968, neither the demonstrations of 1981, 1989, 1990 nor those of 1997, such important stages in our journey towards freedom and independence, would have taken place. For this reason, as a political activist who organized demonstrations and as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, allow me to express all my gratitude and respect, to each of you and to all those who organized the demonstrations of 1968 and who stood by them behind those ideals and principles, aware of their historical role then and now.
Congratulations on the 55th anniversary of the demonstrations of November 27, 1968 and congratulations on November 28!
Thank you!
Last modified: November 29, 2023