In Mitrovica it marks 99th.

With the motto “remembering the tragedy- celebrating freedom”, today in Mitrovica the 20th anniversary of the ecstasy was marked, when during the war about a million Albanians were forced to migrate to Albania and Macedonia by Serb criminal forces.

Municipal representatives of Mitrovica, deputy ministers, Albania's ambassador to Kosovo, Kemal Minxhozi, Kukes Mayor Union Shehu, religious representatives, and many citizens participated in this anniversary.

Mitrovica Mayor Agim Bahtiri, under whose care this manifestation was held, said that today the strongest days of pain, which caused wounds and tears for many Kosovo citizens, are being commemorated.

According to him, on today's 20 years ago, Europe had been surprised at how a small country like Albania was coping with such a large influx of refugees in the short term.

“Today we are gathered here to remember the days of pain, the strongest pain that caused us wounds and tears in front of our mothers and sisters, our brothers who were forced to leave their country, their homeland, their homes and property, to shake stone-themel, our land, our land, our mother Albania... A small Albania to wait a million citizens for a short time, has surprised and shaken the entire European Union”, Bahtiri said.

Kukes Mayor Bashkim Shehu argued that what Albanians did for Albanians is a brotherly obligation.

Whatever happened these days in Kukes, Albania, in all cities is just what we have always done as Albanians, because we are always peace lovers, we are brothers and what we do for each other is just a family, social and brotherly obligation”, Shehu said.

While Ambassador Minxhozi said Kukes' example speaks a lot, as Albanians love each other and do not separate from each other. According to him, Albanians should be proud to have managed to remember this day each year, but with new motives. He added that Kosovo won the war, but must also gain peace, always in co-operation, in the face of challenges.

Ambassador Minxhozi stressed that the idea of Balkan butcher Slobodan Milosevic was to drive Albanians from Kosovo into a clash among Albanians, which was not realized.

“What Milosevic thought -- driving Albanians out of their own lands for another country -- resulted in a next failure, because it was thought there would be confrontations, there would be no hospitality and generosity, but the total opposite” occurred, Minxhozi said.

On the other hand, the chairman of the non-governmental organisation, Ali Topalli, elaboring the difficulties of performers from Mitrovica to Morina, said many suffered severe shocks after being beaten and killed.

“Exodus applauded on this journey of more than 200 kilometers from the Mitrovica-Morine border, experienced severe shocks, beatings, lootings, tortures, murders, and not to talk about the violations that took place during this round-the-way”, he said.

For the contribution made during the war, gratitude was shared for Don Lush Sopi and Kukes Mayor Bashkih Shehu, while an artistic programme also appeared for those present