The Independence of Kosova was declared. This was the crowning of a painful journey of tears and blood for the Albanian population there. For years, until June 1999, Albanians suffered the consequences of ethnic cleansing by Milosevic’s army. After the end of the war and the deployment of international troops in Kosova, in November 2005, the final status process officially began. Since June 13, 1999, when the Serbian forces were forced to leave Kosova, this country was administered by the United Nations mission and the democratic institutions of Kosova: the Assembly, the president and the government. On February 2, 2007, the special envoy for the status of Kosova, Martti Ahtisaari, submitted his proposal to Prishtina and Belgrade for the conditional independence of Kosova. This step led to the creation of an independent state. The closest challenge for the new state remains the aspiration for entering NATO and EU integration. (In the photo: Declaration of the Proclamation of Independence of Kosova; Members of the “National Defense of Kosova” Committee.)
Text: National Historical Museum
Photo: © Xhoxhi L., personal archive
Graphic processing: AHCF
