From the memory of the war assessing Albania

Gratitude for Albania, all Albanians of ethnic lands for time of Kosovo Liberation War

Albania at all times and periods has fulfilled its obligation to Kosovo and Albanians of the three-weeks conquered by Serbia and Yugoslavia. This was conditional on the fact that we are a nation, but also because we could not take any action against the Yugoslav and Serbian state if we were not convinced that the Albanian state was coming after us.

Even when it was incompatible to the two blocs, when it was threatened by both east and west, it has never been allowed by international laws and regulations, Albania has not remained silent. On the contrary, I know when demonstrations in 1968, 1981, 1988, 1989 when Kosovo's autonomy was removed in tanks, in my opinion, Albania has been beyond the international norms that were allowed. I want to explain that even in the internal plan, he has carried out unbroken actions for Albanians in Kosovo and other parts occupied by Serbia and Yugoslavia.

From 1970 onward, until 1981, there has been much in the field of education. He has done a great job of awareness of Albanians nationally; he has made us realize that there would be no possibility that Serbia and Yugoslavia would grant us freedom. Therefore, I testify that the constant messages that have come to us from Albania have been such, that we must prepare and organise and equip for a difficult armed struggle to gain freedom.

I, too, as a student of chemistry professors from Tirana who have done more than science, have endless gratitude for them who joined us in Pristina University audiences doing more of our national education. Meetings of that period have made enlightenment on the mind of Kosovo's youth. It wasn't easy, because they were constantly under UDB's escort, but were fearless to do the best for us. And that was just one aspect of the Albanian state's activity to help us get out of the invasion and become free citizens.

In the area of preparation for further action against Serbia, there has been a constant commitment from Albania to all possible time capacities.

Albania's support and state aid for the Armed War in Kosovo has not acted in 1992 to 1997, because at this period the political idea arose in Kosovo that freedom can be won by becoming patient against Serbs. And the Albanian state joined this kind of peaceful policy. This approach, to us, to the part that was seriously defined for deliverance, influenced us to have our doors closed for help or even simply for advice. It should not be denied that in this period we have had the help of political, military, organisation and counseling experts, but these have been individual assistance (not state aid), always aware of Fatos Nano, although he was held in prison.

I can say without doubt that I am mistaken, that the assistance of the Albanian State for the Liberation Army of Kosovo has become intense in 1998 (1999). In this period of war, Albania has made it possible, despite a time period that suffered a decline in the tempo. Although some ministers, especially the defence ministers and Fatos Klosi in their institutions, in their own ability provided very valuable assistance, with a view to non-decimens over a period of time watching us, Pandeli Majko, still young, who took advantage of Fatos Nano's resignation and became prime minister in October 1998 and continuing.

He, for what reason, had the tendency to block all the jobs that were done in the service of the KLA and its warriors. He was unable to block our activity through Albania, which was necessary for the performance of our war. But in the state structures, he tried to influence them not to act in support of the war. By the time we were in Rambouille, from the impasse that Mr. Majko made, the KLA war had a tendency to crash into crisis.

When we returned from Rambouille we requested an appointment (Hashim Thaci, Xhavit Haliti, Rama Bouja and I Azem Syla) with Prime Minister Pandeli Majko. He left us for more than 40 minutes to wait in an office. Even when she came to us in a kind manner, she came as if she had no explanation, she just behaved and laughed. We told him, "You are here to stop the war." Majko did not take seriously what we told him, so we left with no result from the encounter we had been going to.

A companion for what they used to do. The NLA has told me that Prime Minister Pandeli Majko has written to the embassies (named American) with epithets for the leaders of the KLA, peace and low, as if we have any other orientations that our Western friends already knew. However, we always remained kind to him because he was the prime minister in whom we had the greatest hope.

Prime Minister Majko only after the start of NATO air strikes against Yugoslav military forces of Serbian police and military forces began to navigate and realise that the world had a different attitude towards the Kosovo Liberation Army, its leadership and its war. From there, Prime Minister Majko took a complete turn and engaged with the entire government and its administration in the service of Kosovo Albanian citizens who were forcibly displaced by the Serb and Yugoslav invaders towards Albania and were not few, but about 1 million homeless people with no income. The Albanian state has managed this situation with force and dignity, and it is understood that the main credit is to Prime Minister Majko and the government of the state administration that he led. Since April 1999, access to the KLA also changed.

He made efforts to support and empower him in his last moments of war. If he were in this right direction, since he took on many things, they would have done much better.

However, Kosovo was freed and this is the work of the KLA and all Albanians on all ethnic lands, where everyone, who is less or more, did their duty with honor, except those who joined the enemy and who in history will remain forever branded.