Prishtina, 17 March 2008
It’s been four years since the tragic events of March 2004. The violence of March 2004 marked one of the darkest chapters in our new history. Citizens of Kosovo condemned and refused the attacks committed on that day. Government of Kosovo expresses its sincere regrets for these events and once again we reiterate our solidarity with all those wounded, the ones that lost their beloved ones and all those that were displaced from their home. We remain committed to restore the damages of the day, in particular to renovate Serb Orthodox Churches.
Now that Kosovo is an independent state, we, as a Government and leadership, hold a greater responsibility to ensure that such violent events occur no more. We may not change the history, but we can undertake steps to make all communities in Kosovo feel safe with their rights and freedoms guaranteed. We believe that the full implementation of President Ahtisaari’s Plan, in particular provisions related to protection of culture and identity of each citizen living in Kosovo, will help us to achieve our purpose.
Furthermore, all actors in Kosovo society – Government, media, citizens – must be prepared to respond with maturity and calmness to various security challenges that we may face in the future.
Today, four years from the March tragic events, we invite all citizens of Kosovo to recall the lessons learned from March 2004 and to devote ourselves strongly towards building a state in which the rule of law with triumph against the logic of violence and hatred.
Last modified: July 31, 2022