After being chided about nationalist rhetoric, Albanian prime minister stay unusually quiet about event, limits comments to Facebook page
PRISTINA, Feb 17 – Less than three months after massive crowds from Kosovo joined the celebrations for Albania’s 100th anniversary of independence, it was Kosovo’s turn to celebrate its own, much smaller, anniversary.
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo celebrated Sunday the fifth anniversary of the country’s unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia.
Albania’s head of state, President Bujar Nishani was present at the celebrations, but after being chided about nationalist rhetoric, Albanian prime minister Sali Berisha stayed away from the events and was unusually quiet in his congratulations, limiting comments about Kosovo to his Facebook page. His chief rival, Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, did attend the ceremonies in Pristina.
Kosovo’s lightly armed civil emergency force joined police and firefighters to parade in the main square in the capital Pristina, the first such parade since the end of the 1998-99 war. Armored vehicles were paraded in the city alongside special masked police units. The force known as Kosovo Security Force has 2,500 members and wants to become Kosovo’s future army, but Kosovo’s international backers fear the move comes too soon after the conflict with Serbia and that the new country needs to settle its dispute with Serbia first.
Some 99 countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence, but Serbia rejects it and has the powerful backing of Russia in staking a claim over the territory.
Hashim Thaci, Kosovo’s Prime Minister, himself a former rebel that fought Serbia, said the country is seeking membership in the European Union but warned there was much work to be done.
“The Republic of Kosovo is on the right path to the European Union, but we still need to work and transform Kosovo into a developed European state,” he said.
The top EU official in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar said an EU report published recently was meant to help Kosovo identify its shortcomings and “the areas we want to see a positive trend so we can move forward.”
President Nishani also took part at the session held from the Kosovo parliament.
Nishani said that the occasion should be used to show gratitude for the United States and NATO for their key role in bringing about the Kosovo independence.
