The historic visit of the 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton will begin at 7:00 PM on 3 July.
In Clinton’s agenda for his visit to Albania, he is scheduled to arrive in Tirana at 7:00 PM and be welcomed by Prime Minister Edi Rama in a special official ceremony in “Dëshmorët e Kombit” Boulevard, in front of the Prime Minister’s Office. The ceremony is expected to involve the participation of Tirana citizens as well.
After the performance of the national anthems of the United States and Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama and the 42nd President of the United States Bill Clinton will have a ceremonial procession and honor the flags of both countries.
At 7:05 PM, Prime Minister Edi Rama will deliver a speech on the occasion and then invite Mr. Bill Clinton to receive an awarded prize.
At 7:25 PM, the ceremony of honoring the 42nd President of the United States with the “Star of Gratitude for Public Achievements” will take place, followed by Clinton’s speech.
This is the first historic visit of former President Bill Clinton, one of the most beloved and well-known figures for Albanians, for his extremely important role in the liberation of Kosovo in 1999.
He remains in history as the leader who put an end to the genocide in Kosovo and the war of Milošević. In his message to the American nation in 1999 following the Yugoslavia strike, he said:
“My fellow Americans, today our armed forces joined our NATO allies in airstrikes against Serbian forces responsible for brutality in Kosovo. We have acted with resolve for several reasons. We act to protect thousands of innocent people in Kosovo from a mounting military offensive. We act to prevent a wider war, to defuse a powder keg at the heart of Europe, that has exploded twice before in this century with catastrophic results. If President Milošević will not make peace, we will limit his ability to make war. If he decides to accept the peace agreement and demilitarize Kosovo, NATO has agreed to help to implement it with a peacekeeping force. If we and our allies were to allow this war to continue with no response, President Milošević would read our hesitation as a license to kill. There would be many massacres, tens of thousands of refugees, victims crying out for revenge. Right now, our firmness is the only hope the people of Kosovo have to be able to live in their own country, without having to fear for their own lives. I have a responsibility as president to deal with problems such as this before they do permanent harm to our national interests. America has a responsibility to stand with our allies when they are trying to save innocent lives and preserve peace, freedom and stability in Europe. That is what we are doing in Kosovo. the challenge of ending instability in the Balkans, so that these bitter, ethnic problems in Europe are resolved by the force of argument, not the force of bombs. So that future generations of Americans do not have to cross the Atlantic to fight another terrible war. It is this challenge that we and our allies are facing in Kosovo.”
Clinton visited Kosovo for the first time in May 1999. He also stayed in Kosovo in 2009 and 2019. During his last visit, he was accompanied by the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. They participated in the ceremonies held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of NATO troops entering Kosovo, which is celebrated as Liberation Day.
NATO peacekeeping troops entered Kosovo on June 12, 1999, following a NATO air campaign against Serbian forces in Kosovo and Serbia that lasted 78 days.
Clinton’s historical visit to Tirana was previously announced by Prime Minister Rama, who had declared that there would be a gift for the celebration of the U.S. Independence Day on 4 July.
Bill Clinton’s arrival comes at a delicate moment for Albanians in Kosovo due to the recent tense situation in the four northern municipalities, as well as the strong stances that Prime Minister Rama has taken towards his counterpart in Pristina, Albin Kurti.
