Prishtina, 12 February 2009
The Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, held a meeting today with the leaders of Kosovo’s municipalities, on which occasion, they discussed coordination of state activities for the celebration of February 17th, the one year anniversary of the declaration of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state.
Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi said to the leaders of the municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo that during this first year of our independent and sovereign state; all of us have been confronted with extraordinary challenges, but the successes have also been great.
The following is the complete speech of Prime Minister Thaçi:
Honorable leaders of Municipal Assemblies,
Firstly, I thank you for your taking part in this meeting.
We are at the threshold of the great celebration of Kosovo’s independence.
It is a time of celebration and pride, but also a time for evaluating what we have done during the year of our state’s existence and strengthening our commitments for the new responsibilities we have ahead.
The responsibilities are many, and they are challenging.
During this first year of our independent and sovereign state, we have been confronted with extraordinary challenges, but the successes have also been great.
All of us together, step by step, with maturity and self-confidence, were able to make the institutions of our democratic state functional: state symbols, a Constitution with the highest democratic standards, completion of the mechanisms of governance and national security.
In addition to this, we have improved the quality of governance and we have built a secure atmosphere for the initiation of economic development in our country.
This work is yet to be done. State building continues.
Therefore, not for a moment, should we feel tired or feel the weakening of our commitment. We do not lack energy.
Not for a moment should we forget the unsparing help of our international friends, led by the United States of America and the European Union, who were beside us in every complicated situation that we went through.
After one year of independence, all of us, citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, we have the right to feel proud of the fact that we have not disappointed the expectations of the friends of our freedom.
With a highly civilized morale and with dignity, we celebrated the birth of our independent and sovereign state.
In the same spirit, we continued state building and the opening up of a perspective for economic development and the integration of our country into the Euro-Atlantic structures.
Honorable Municipal leaders,
I ask that you prove this spirit of dignity and tolerance also in this first anniversary of our independence.
In this way, we will once again send a clear message, as we did last year, that our freedom, our state, is not a threat to anyone, but a factor for peace and stability in the region.
The democratic world expects this message from us.
Speak to your municipal structures and with your people, so that our Independence Day will be at the same time
A day of tolerance,
A day of stability,
A day of social and political unity,
A day of the highest democratic values,
Every eventual incident, every display of a lack of patience, will directly damage the interests of our independent and sovereign state and will be in the favor of those that still speak out against the independence of Kosovo.
We have the chance to prove to them, once again, how mistaken their position is.
Our state also needs support from those who have a hesitation or dilemma regarding recognition. With our work, we can help them resolve their dilemmas in favor of recognition.
Good luck in your work. Happy Independence Day of Kosovo.
Last modified: July 31, 2022