That 4 July is celebrated with as much joy in Kosova as in the USA bears witness to Albanians’ commitment to the American people; as well as being a recognition of theuniversal values of global freedom, Independence Day is a reminder of the crucial role the US has played historically – and continues to play today – in supporting the Albanian people’s own independence.

By Mehmet PRISHTINA

The honour that Albanians have for the American people, as well as the pride in the relationship between the two countries, is expressed symbolically by the naming of streets, boulevards, squares, and institutions with the names of prominent Americans who have contributed to the well-being of the Albanian people.

Countless polls have demonstrated that Albanians are among the most pro-American peoples in the world but where does thishave its roots?

Well, if we look back, we can see that several times during the 20th century, the US played a crucial role in protecting Albanians from foreign aggression. The first instance occurred during the Peace Conference of 1919 in Paris, when President Woodrow Wilson openly declared: “Albania must be independent.” For this decisive declaration, and for his role in the Versailles Conference, the Albanian Prime Minister at the time, Fan Noli, decided, in 1924, to rename the city of Shengjin ‟Wilson City”, a name it held until the beginning of World War II.

More recently, and in the spirit of this American pro-Albanian commitment, President George W. Bush Sr, during Christmas1992, warned Slobodan Milosevic to stop the violence against Kosovo Albanians, who make up over 90% of its population:

‟I call on the Serbian leadership to fully respect the human rights, to refrain from further repression in Kosovo, as well as to engage in a serious dialogue with the representatives of Kosovo, in order to determine the political status of Kosovo.”

It is notable that, to date, US support for Kosova has been unwavering, regardless of who leads the White House. This was evidenced in the approach of Democratic President Bill Clinton in his two terms, which did not differ from that of his predecessor, George W. Bush; the USA led the bombing campaign of March-June 1999 against the militaristic machinery of Serbia, which resulted in their expulsion from Kosova.

In a speech to the American people on 24 March 1999, President Clinton explained why Kosovo was important to America:

‟We are working to prevent a full-scale war, to remove a barrel of gunpowder in the heart of Europe, which has exploded twice in a century with catastrophic consequences,” he said. After the war, Clinton visited Kosova to convey a new message to its people: ‟We won the war, you must win the peace.”

On 10 June 2007 – 88 years after Wilson’s commitment – former President George W. Bush, during his historic visit to Albania, made a statement in Tirana, which is considered to be the moment of the announcement of Kosovo’s independence:

“Enough is enough. Kosovo is independent. This is my attitude! This is a firm and strong stance,” he said.

A few years later, in 2008, the US strongly supported the cause for the independence of Kosova by directly intervening for Albania to become a member of NATO.

The USA has played an essential role in the economic development of Albania and Kosova, and several development and financial programmes have been implemented in favour of the economic, social and cultural consolidation of the Albanian territories, creating a secure geopolitical space that guarantees the protection of American interests in this part of south-east Europe. American protagonism is tangible in Euro-Atlantic integration policies, especially in the integration of Albania and Kosovo in NATO, and later in the EU, where the role of Washington has been crucial.

Furthermore, we should not forget 14 December 2019, the day that the Kosovo Security Forces were transformed into the Kosovo Army. This could not have been done without the support of the US administration. To this day, Washington is helping to modernise and professionally enhance the Kosovo Army and the Kosovo police force. For many countries around the world, former President Trump abolished US financial aid; the only exceptions were Israel, Kosova and Georgia.

For Albanians, America became a second homeland when the threats from abroad endangered Albania’s existence. The beginnings of democracy in Albania and Kosovo were mentored by America. In the early 1990s, Albanian leaders from Pristina and Tirana saw the White House and the US Congress as the only platforms from which to express the needs and demands for a consolidation of democracy and economic and social development on Albanian soil, including international awareness of the issue of Kosova. American lobbyists were, and remain,the only flag bearers for the protection of Albanian interests. Today, when Kosova has not yet resolved some problems with Serbia, American diplomacy is crucial to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, and it is not unrealistic for Albanians to fervently hopeand expect that Washington be the guarantor of the agreements to be reached with Serbia.

President Biden has spoken emotionally of his and his family’s close relationship with Kosovo, including that of his late son, who worked in the capital Pristina after the war, training judges. In 2016, Kosovo named a road after Beau Biden, who sadly passed away in 2015.

Today, Albanians in America enjoy dignity and respect for the work and contributions they make to what they consider their second homeland. And Albanians everywhere feel a gratitude for the commitment of the US in consolidating democracy, as well as economic and social development, within the Albanian ethnic space in the Balkans and beyond.