Former United States President Bill Clinton called for a solution to the situation in northern Kosovo, which he described as “foolishness”.
In his speech to high-ranking officials of Albania and gathered citizens in his honor on “Dëshmorët e Kombit” boulevard in Tirana on Monday, he emphasized the need to hold elections in the north as soon as possible.
“There is a spat going on in Kosovo now that I wish it never happened. It’s not my call anymore but the Kosovars created those four towns for the benefit of the Serbs, to give them four more mayors, as well as a place in the parliament. So, I think they made a mistake not to vote and I think it’s easy for the Albanians, now in the majority, to try to use the moment to make a point. But the real thing we need to do is to stop this foolishness. What major political issue can possibly be advanced by how those four little towns are run? There are people living there, they need to have decent government and the citizens need to be told they should always vote,” the 42nd US President said.
Local Serbs in the four municipalities in northern Kosovo boycotted the elections held in April, resulting in Albanian mayors being elected in those predominantly Serbian municipalities.
Tensions in these municipalities have risen since 26 May when Kosovar authorities facilitated the entry of new mayors into municipal buildings. The international community has called for a de-escalation of the situation.
Clinton also stated that he is convinced that the United States “is committed to the freedom, strength, and integrity of Albania”, despite him not having a role in the current U.S. administration.
Present at the welcoming ceremony for former President Bill Clinton were representatives of the Albanian government, accredited ambassadors in Tirana, representatives of the opposition, local authorities, and religious communities.
But the ceremony also included several young people and children from Kosovo who bear the names of Clinton and his wife, Hillary.
He expressed deep emotions for the gratitude he received during the ceremony, where he was decorated with the “Star of Gratitude for Public Achievements”.
“I am speechless. I think if I had very good judgment, I would say nothing at all. I am overwhelmed,” said Clinton on the first day of his two-day visit to Albania at the invitation of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
During his speech, Rama said that he himself had Clinton as an example and praised him for his role in ending the war in Kosovo.
Rama referred to Clinton’s speech in March 1999, when he announced NATO’s intervention in Kosovo, as “another gem” and said that speech was “a defining milestone for the history of Kosovo and our region, a guidestone for the future”.
He also highlighted some of the assistance that the U.S. provided to Albania during the Clinton administration, right after the communist regime.
This was Bill Clinton’s first visit to Tirana, while 11 years ago, his wife Hillary, who was then the Secretary of State, visited Albania.
In a farewell update on his Facebook account, Prime Minister Rama shared what Clinton had told him before departing.
“It was all extraordinary! I wouldn’t want to leave today and I’m leaving thinking that the other name of New York is West Albania,” Rama quoted Clinton to have said, while also posting a picture of the both of them hugging.
Clinton was President of the United States during the Kosovo War and played a key role in NATO launching airstrikes against Serbian forces, leading to the liberation of Kosovo.
At that time, Clinton stated that the decision to start the airstrikes was made to protect thousands of innocent people in Kosovo from the regime of the then-Serbian leader, Slobodan Milošević.
Clinton first visited Kosovo in May 1999. He also visited Kosovo in 2009 and 2019. During his last visit, he was accompanied by the late former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. They participated in the ceremonies held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of NATO’s entry into Kosovo, known as Liberation Day.
NATO peacekeeping troops entered Kosovo on June 12, 1999, following the alliance’s air campaign against Serbian forces in Kosovo and Serbia, which lasted for 78 days.
