RFE
12 Jun 2019, 11:45 GMT+10
PRISTINA -- Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has awarded the Freedom Order to former U.S. President Bill Clinton in gratitude for his role in helping end the 1998-99 war in Kosovo that killed some 13,000 people.
Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and other foreign officials are in Pristina to attend a ceremony on June 12 marking 20 years since NATO troops were deployed to help stop a bloody Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian nationalists in Kosovo, then a province of rump Yugoslavia.
Thaci handed the award to Clinton on June 11, thanking him for his contribution to laying the 'founding stone of this freedom' and describing the former U.S. president as a 'hero of Kosovo.'
'I have always been proud that I was president of the United States when you needed someone to stand up and say: 'No more ethnic cleansing, no more running people out of their homes, no more killing innocent civilians. There's got to be a better way,'' Clinton said upon accepting the award.
'But everything we did wouldn't have made a difference if the people of Kosovo had not made the decision to build a country, to build a society, to build a functioning government, and to walk away from war for peace,' he added.
Serbia's crackdown during the 1990s against ethnic Albanians in its then-province Kosovo ended following a 78-day NATO air campaign in 1999.
Kosovo declared its independence nearly a decade later, in 2008. Although more than 110 countries recognize Kosovo, Belgrade does not.
Clinton and Albright were instrumental in getting the NATO campaign approved. Both oversaw the Kosovo-Serbia peace deal after the war.
With reporting by AP
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
Get a daily dose of Tennessee Daily news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Tennessee Daily.
More InformationKABUL, Afghanistan: Afghanistan, long associated with war and instability, is quietly trying to rebrand itself as a destination for...
SANTA CLARA, California: Executives at Nvidia have quietly been cashing in on the AI frenzy. According to a report by the Financial...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
SANTA CLARA, California: Executives at Nvidia have quietly been cashing in on the AI frenzy. According to a report by the Financial...
EVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...