Prishtina, 5 December 2022
The speech of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosova, Albin Kurti, at the reception organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Finland, in celebration of the 105th anniversary of Finland’s independence:
Dear Ambassador Nissinen,
Members of Parliament and Ministers of the Government,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and other diplomats,
Religious leaders,
Civil society activists,
Representatives of state institutions, and non-governmental organizations,
Dear guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to be with you here tonight. First, let me congratulate the Republic of Finland and the Finnish people on the 105th anniversary of their independence. On December 6, 1917, Finland declared its independence from Russia, thus ending a foreign rule dating back to 1809. Kosova and Finland share similar histories of occupation, sacrifices for freedom and efforts to preserve culture and tradition against foreign empires and regimes until independence was won.
Finland has, of course, been a friend and a supporter of the people of Kosova in our own struggle for freedom and liberation. And since Kosova’s Declaration of Independence on February 17, 2008, Finland has continued this friendly and supportive role by expanding its assistance through various projects that have helped consolidate our new democracy.
The Finnish Agency for International Development – FINNIDA – has supported our country’s development since 1999, primarily in human rights education, gender equality, health, and other related areas. In addition, Finland has continuously supported us on our path towards EU integration.
These ties of friendship between our countries are based on the common values of democracy, respect for human rights and social justice. We are very grateful that Finland has actively and consistently supported Kosova’s Euro-Atlantic perspective, visa liberalization for our citizens, and our accession to international organizations. Both countries are also working closely to enhance our economic cooperation. To the Finish superb education model, we also look up to learn out of that.
In the area of security as well, Finland and Kosova share common values, challenges and interests. Therefore, let me use this opportunity to congratulate Finland on its NATO membership application. After all ratifications have been finalized, Finland’s membership in NATO will undoubtedly signify a major turning point in the political history of the country, of the Nordic region, and of Europe as a whole. As such, it will strengthen security and bolster the guarantee of collective defense. Kosova, too, has the same aspirations, and for the very same reasons.
In school we learned about Finland as the country of mesmerizing northern lights, of music composer Jean Sibelius, of forest reindeers, of unbelievable 188 thousand lakes and 70 thousand islands. As a kid while watching sports I remember well the ski jumper Matti Nykänen and later the Formula 1 driver Mika Häkkinen. When I got into movies, films of Aki Kaurismäki, made me like Finland and feel as if I knew Finland without ever being there, and then again, get into doubts whether liking his films says something deeper about myself rather than Finland itself.
And, not to forget, in our recent history we got to know the two Martti’s: Martti Ahtisaari and Martti Koskenniemi. The comprehensive status proposal of President Ahtisaari became the crux of our Constitution, whereas the defense of our independence at International Court of Justice by Koskenniemi is an exemplary essay on self-determination. But, those were the years of Nokia, not of Iphone and Huawei.
Dear Friends,
Others tell me that the Albanian language is not easy to learn, but perhaps the Finnish language is even more difficult. I used to know only one word in Finnish, the one that everybody does: sauna. But for this occasion I learned a second word, Kippis, which stands for: Cheers! Let us therefore raise a toast to the government and people of Finland, and to many more years of friendly relations between our countries. Thank you.
Last modified: December 5, 2022