Thaci: In the case of me and my brother of the blood of war, Kadri Wessel, will prove to be innocent.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said in his address so far:

I address you tonight from this office where for 1542 days I have the extraordinary honour of exercising the high office of the president of our state, free, independent and democratic Kosovo! My heart is hurt, but not broken. My mind is heavy, but not troubled. My blood is angry, but pure and comparable to the blood of my fellow fighters who lost in the war. It's the same as the blood of those who loved me and supported me generously on this road to freedom and statehood. And at this moment even with the blood of those who have opposed me, I have been tried or judged differently than I would like. It is only natural that at this moment not easy for me, I have been reminded of those who have given their lives for freedom. Others I've known along my long way, from the time I was an idealistic boy who wanted to change the world to the present with white grays. I have remembered momentous moments and very personal moments. I've been thinking about my parents, grandparents, family, and my son, Andrew. Anyone who has become a man today can see him in the eye with no trembling about the alleged launch of a war crimes process! I realized very early that we, KLA fighters, would pay a great human, family and political price. This is the prize for Kosovo freedom.

It is fair that every claim of any charge of war crimes must be cleared from everyone and wherever it is. My fellow fighters, with some of whom peace has often divided us into different political jars, have challenged with the great force of truth many vile factories, and in the end their innocence has shone upon the dung of monstrous accusations. It will be the same with me and my brother from the blood of war, Kadri Wessel.

I feel as never before today, completely free from the worries and weight of political confrontations. Such concerns have sometimes taken on greater proportions than they deserved. They clouded in your eyes the simple fact that we are all sons and daughters of this land and we all want the best for our country, Kosovo. But politics has these too.