On the four sides of the capital’s squares, many citizens watched the parade of the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) and the Kosovo Police. In the state ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kosovo, three squads during the parade presented weapons with heavy machine guns and cameras in their helmets. The supreme commander, Vjosa Osmani said that in 1999 the right of the people to be free was protected. The Prime Minister of the country, Albin Kurti, said that the Kosovo Army originates from the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

President Vjosa Osmani declared that June 12 is one of the most significant days for the history of Kosovo’s citizenship.

“On this day, we honor the bravery, sacrifice and steadfast spirit of the people of Kosovo, a people who fought bravely for the freedom we enjoy today. This is a day to remember our painful past, but also to celebrate our present and aim for a future filled with hope and prosperity. Our fight was not ours alone. In Kosovo, in 1999, the people’s right to be free was protected. In this war, KLA was our most powerful pillar of resistance and hope. Brave men and women took up arms to defend our right to exist. Their fight was not only for the land, but for the very soul of Kosovo. Every battle they fought, every life they risked brought us one step closer to freedom. The courage of the KLA is a story of heroism that will be told from generation to generation. They were the protectors of our dreams for freedom, guards of our common future”, declared Osmani.

The head of state said that 25 years ago, the wars of the KLA and NATO soldiers turned tears and terror into hope.

She also mentioned the legendary commander, Adem Jashari and the Jashari family, adding that Kosovo was also supported by international allies.

“Today we celebrate not only our liberation but also the bonds of friendship and solidarity that were created throughout our struggle. 25 years later we are building our national security architecture in partnership with strategic allies and we are doing this in order to take our rightful place as a reliable partner in the NATO alliance and all Euro-Atlantic structures. Kosovo is our permanent homeland, so we always owe it to her as our heroes did and as our hero Adem Jashari bequeathed to us”, she added.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti also emphasized that the Kosovo Army originates from the Kosovo Liberation Army. According to him, the legacy of Adem Jashari is today united with the Kosovo Security Force.

“Your parade today here in the central squares of Prishtina fills us with pride and gives us feelings of security. Today, the rhythm of your steps, the sound of the boots you wore, turns us to the rhythm of our hearts, to those of us who see you with such admiration and respect. The weapons you hold in your hands, these weapons so varied and so modern, many of which you will show us today for the first time, are extensions of your own powerful hands, in the permanent readiness of each of you to protect order and law, constitutionality and sovereignty, the territorial integrity of Kosovo and the dignity of its citizens… I am very happy to see together with you the great progress of KSF. This was achieved as a result of our many years of investment and joint work, especially during the last three years. It has been achieved more than the doubling of the budget for the army, the recruitment of 1852 new soldiers who will be joined by 600 new recruits this year, the tripling of investments in armaments; our soldiers had only light weapons, now they are also equipped with heavy caliber weapons and even Bayraktar drones, to which the American anti-tank system will soon be added,” said Kurti.

At the state ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kosovo, Kurti added that 1/3 of the soldiers will parade in the capital’s squares.

Kosovo’s freedom, Kurti added, also came from the help of NATO forces. For which he emphasized that Kosovo is everyday closer to membership in this alliance.

The former Minister of Defense in the United Kingdom, now Lord George Robertson, has recalled the time of the intervention in Kosovo and the completed objectives of NATO.

“25 years ago I was the Secretary of Defense of Great Britain and I remember vividly meeting with Defense Ministers of Germany, France and the USA to consider what we knew of what was happening in Kosovo. We consulted the intelligence and the newspaper reports and we also heard the pleas of the people in the mountains and the forest. We knew then that only you knew what was happening here. We knew that something had to be done to stop it, we knew that the United Nations was paralised by the Russian and Chinese vetoes. We knew we had to decide together to act despite the United Nations Resolution. We knew too that not to act would allow Milosevic and his associates to continue brutally driving the Albanian population from their homeland. We knew what we had to do and we did it and 78 days later we fulfilled the objective. Milosevic’s military out, NATO in and the refugees home,” said Robertson.

Robertson mentioned his visit to Poklek in Kosovo and said that there he saw how far human dehumanization can go.

“Yet now we see in our own continent in the year of 2024 … crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in Ukraine where Putin’s forces have occupied. I have to say that after the case of Poklek I thought that we might see an end to such dehumanized violence but I fear I was wrong. It is all a reminder that we must be even more vigilant and united and to give the people of Ukraine the resources, the ammunition, the equippment and political support to recover their land just as you with our help recovered your country” Robertson added.

In the state ceremony in honor of the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kosovo, 16 squads of the KSF, seven of the Kosovo Police, with a total of over 1500 participants, marched.