Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti welcomed former U.S. Congressman Joe DioGuardi and his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, at the Prime Minister’s Office, thanking them for nearly four decades of advocacy for the rights of Albanians and support for Kosovo.
Following the meeting, Kurti said that Joe and Shirley DioGuardi have become citizens of the Republic of Kosovo in recognition of their longstanding commitment to the Albanian people and Kosovo’s national cause.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Joe DioGuardi and Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi to the Prime Minister’s Office and thank them for nearly four decades of extraordinary advocacy, from the U.S. Congress to the Albanian American Civic League,” Kurti said.
Kurti highlighted DioGuardi’s historic role as the first U.S. congressman of Albanian descent and his early advocacy for Kosovo at a time when international attention to the situation in Kosovo remained limited.
He also credited DioGuardi, alongside prominent U.S. figures including Tom Lantos, Bob Dole and Eliot Engel, with being among the early and influential voices supporting Kosovo and opposing the repression suffered by its people.
“Joe and Shirley, in addition to being citizens of the United States of America, are now also citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, a reflection of their decades-long commitment to the Albanian people and our national cause,” Kurti said.
He described DioGuardi as an ambassador for Kosovo long before the country established its embassy in Washington, D.C.
“We will be forever grateful for their service, as a country and as a people,” Kurti added.
The meeting comes as Kosovo marks the longstanding contribution of the Albanian American Civic League and its leadership to raising awareness of Kosovo’s cause in the United States and supporting its path toward freedom and independence.
