Prishtina, 3 July 2013
Today, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi held a meeting at KFOR headquarters, with the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen. In the meeting, they discussed current political developments in Kosovo and the region, with special emphasis on implementing the agreement normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia. After this meeting, Prime Minister Thaçi also participated in the meeting of the NATO North Atlantic Council.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi and the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen gave statements to the media in a joint press conference.
Statement by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi at the press conference
Thank you very much honorable Secretary Rasmussen,
In the beginning, let me use this opportunity on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo to thank NATO and all NATO member states who have supported Kosovo and continue to support Kosovo and its people.
Kosovo continues to be committed to being an important factor for peace, stability and security in the region and we have proved this through the excellent cooperation we have with KFOR and I thank you for your personal contribution and engagement.
Furthermore, I am grateful for your continual support for the Kosovo Security Force.
Kosovo is continuing its path toward normalizing relations with Serbia and we have made progress in an historic agreement in Brussels between me and the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, an agreement facilitated by Baroness Ashton.
With this agreement, we have closed a century of conflict and war between Kosovo and Serbia. With this agreement, we have opened up a chapter of a shared future and we have closed the chapter of a bitter past.
Honorable Secretary Rasmussen,
I would like to thank you all personally for the continual support you have given to this process, before, during the negotiations and in the present, and also for the help you will give to implementation in the future.
The success reached in dialogue and with the approval of the agreement implementation plan must be sustainable and just as Kosovo is working to implement the agreement, so must Serbia.
I would like to thank you for your commitment and support for this agreement, honorable Secretary.
We appreciate the latest decision in Brussels by which Kosovo deservedly received a green light to start negotiations for a Stabilization and Association Agreement.
This is quite important for us as a country and as a people because Kosovo shares a NATO vision for the future, where the Western Balkans are integrated in Euro-Atlantic structures.
We are building our security institutions, to give us the capacity to make Kosovo a joint success, a new European and multi-ethnic Kosovo.
We want to live, work and cooperate with the entire region, for a shared future, a joint vision, in Euro-Atlantic structures.
Our success is NATO’s success and this success will help NATO fulfill its vision of the Euro-Atlantic future of the Western Balkans.
Speech by NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the joint press conference with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi
Good day. It is truly a pleasure to be visiting Prishtina once again.
I am delighted to be here, at this hopeful time.
NATO has a vital interest in the security and stability of the Western Balkans. This is the reason why in 1999, we stationed thousands of troops in Kosovo, to maintain a secure environment for all the people here, according to the United Nations mandate.
Today, I had the opportunity to thank KFOR Commander, Volker Halbauer, and all the men and women under his command for their professionalism and commitment to our mission.
This is a time of great opportunity for Kosovo and the region. I encourage all leaders and all people from all communities to continue on the path of reconciliation and dialogue because we all know that this is the path to long-term security and prosperity.
Therefore, we welcome the agreement reached on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. And we welcome the cooperation that will occur in order to implement this agreement. This is a very important step. I congratulate all those who helped to reach this agreement, including the leaders in Prishtina and Belgrade and in the European Union.
This agreement offers hope for a better life and a better future for people in this region. It is essential that the agreement is wholly implemented and this hope must be fulfilled. The future of this region lies in moving forward toward the European Union.
Today, we see better local institutions and we welcome this. NATO and our partners in KFOR will continue to guarantee security here. We will remain ready to face any effort to undermine the progress that has been achieved.
We will continue to work together with local institutions, the European Union, the US and all other international organizations to help develop a stable, democratic, multi-ethnic and peaceful Kosovo. Because peace and security here will be in the interest of everyone in this region and will lead us closer to our goal, a Europe which is complete, free and in peace.
Thank you.
Last modified: July 31, 2022