Mitrovica, 1 October, 2026
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, attended the opening of the 2026 International Balkan Youth Summit for Peace in Mitrovica, organized by Youth and Students for Peace Balkan and the Universal Peace Federation.
Full statement by Prime Minister Kurti:
The 2026 International Balkan Youth Summit for Peace opened in Mitrovica, organized by Youth and Students for Peace Balkan and the Universal Peace Federation, bringing together young people from more than 50 countries.
The first day of the summit coincided precisely with the 29th anniversary of the student protest of October 1, 1997. From that day to the present—within a single generation—we have moved from liberation to independence and on to a functional democracy with sustainable economic growth. Kosovo is the most democratic state in the region and beyond, built upon the idea that people are free and equal, regardless of where they grow up or which community they belong to.
However, democracies face new challenges, such as disinformation, which sows so much doubt that we can no longer distinguish truth from falsehood. Therefore, I called upon young people to seek the truth and to have the courage to speak it openly.
Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than anything else and will bring great benefits, yet it cannot replicate misunderstandings, acts of forgiveness, or the effort to understand one another. It is precisely through these things that genuine human connections are forged and peace begins. For many years, the bridges over the Iber River in Mitrovica had the form of a bridge but the function of a wall. Today, they connect people.
