Recent thanks to Bob Dole: Who is Albanian so close to President Beden?

But who's Jim Gemma?

Xhemail (Jim) Xhema is a prominent Albanian activist and businessman in the United States of America.

Gemma had first met Dole in 1987 when Dole was head of the Senate.

He had declared that Dole was among the first American political leaders to call attention to what was happening in Kosovo.

Gemma had also written a letter of appreciation for the senator on his 98th birthday.

On Senator Dole's 98th birthday, July 22nd, 2021 -- we remember and highly appreciate his critical efforts to prevent Serbian aggression, giving direction to the building of peace and independence for Kosovo as a sovereign state. There are three concrete actions that make his contribution special for 30 years, as long as he served as US Senator and Majority Director”, it says in his letter.

Otherwise, former US Senator Bob Dole, who died at the age of 98, dedicated part of his career to Kosovo and her path to independence.

Former US Senator Bob Dole, World War II veteran, died on December 5th at the age of 98.

Severely wounded in the war, Dole managed to become one of the most famous personalities of American politics. He served 36 years in Congress. He was the leader of the Senate and the Republican Party's candidate for president.

She actively engaged in the Kosovo issue and in the process that led to her freedom and independence.

In August 1990, along with six other senators, he traveled to Kosovo to meet with then-Albanian representatives.

Kosovo was under Slobodan Milosevic's regime, with careful autonomy and under extraordinary conditions imposed by authorities in Belgrade. The US delegation's visit was the first such one in Kosovo.

Thousands of Albanians, who opposed Serbia's rule, gathered outside the hotel, where senators would stay in Pristina, shouting: “Liri”.

The protest was printed by police units with tear gas and water cannons.

Senator Dole's message was clear: We firmly believe in democracy, believe in individual freedoms and challenge human rights violations.

In September 1998, Dole returned to Kosovo with a fact-gathering mission. The Serbian regime's pressure against Albanians had already intensified.

Even though we've seen some reports on television, it's worse than I expected. It's hard to believe that man can do that. But this happened and must be over”, had declared Dole.

After returning to Washington, Dole called on President Bill Clinton's administration to act, saying Serbia “is committed to major and systematic attacks against the people and territory of Kosovo.

In an article for the Washington Post newspaper on September 14, 1998, Dole wrote: American officials have pledged that they will not allow crimes against humanity, which we have seen in Bosnia, to be repeated in Kosovo. From what I've seen, crimes like this are already happening.

In February 1999, Dole announced that he was committed by President Clinton's administration to help negotiate a peaceful solution for Kosovo.

I've been asked to help you. I think I'm a friend of Albanians, I think they believe me and I've tried to make sure Congress will support their efforts... “, had declared Dole.

Diplomatic efforts, however, failed. Serbia refused to sign a negotiated agreement in Rambouille, France, to end the war in Kosovo.

On March 24, 1999, NATO began the bombing campaign against Serbian forces. Air strikes, lasting 78 days, ended the war in Kosovo almost two years.

Less than a month later, Dole visited Kosovo, which had emerged from the war of more than 10,000 people killed, over 800 thousand displaced and over 5,000 missing.

I've been here for almost ten years, so I know problems very well and I know Kosovars. They are good and very happy people who have little freedom. It'll be better”, Dole said.

On August 30th 2020, his bust rose on a street named after former Senator Bob Dole in Pristina.

On that day, marking the 30th anniversary of his first visit to Kosovo, Dole wrote in Titter:

Fifty years ago, my colleagues and I have traveled to Pristina for the first time. None of us could know that this would be the beginning of a path towards independence for the people of Kosovo. ”

Recent Posting for Independent Kosovo since 2008- Dole did it five days before she died, while warning a Dole Institute programme of Kosovo history.

God bless America and God bless Kosovo”, he wrote.

It was “a statesman like a few others in our history”, said American President Joe Biden.

Dole died ten months after announcing that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.