Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, attended a formal reception on Wednesday evening, June 24, 2026, marking the conclusion of the mandate of the Head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Major General Giovanni Pietro Barbano.
Addressing the attendees, Speaker Haxhiu reflected on the evolutionary nature of the bilateral relationship, noting that cooperation between Kosovo and EULEX has historically centered around complex and highly sensitive rule-of-law issues.
Key Areas of Institutional Cooperation
In her address, Haxhiu specifically commended EULEX’s operational footprints in sectors of vital social importance to Kosovo, including:
- Transitional Justice: Addressing the systemic legal and structural legacies of conflict.
- Gender-Based Violence: Enhancing institutional and judicial defense mechanisms against domestic abuse and gender-targeted crimes.
EULEX Mandate Conclusion Assessment (June 2026):
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Outgoing Chief --> Major General Giovanni Pietro Barbano.
Strategic Focus --> Transitional justice, gender-based violence, institutional reform.
Kosovo's Position --> International missions are temporary; sovereign state organs are permanent.
Measuring Success --> True partnership is judged by the self-sufficiency of local institutions.
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The True Metric of International Partnerships
A central theme of the Speaker’s speech focused on the long-term transition of institutional ownership from international oversight bodies to sovereign state organs.
Speaker Albulena Haxhiu: ““By their very nature, international missions are temporary. Our state institutions are not. Therefore, the true measure of our cooperation is not how long a mission remains on the ground, but how much stronger, more accountable, and more independent our own state institutions become as a result.””
Haxhiu asserted that Kosovo’s state bodies have successfully scaled up their administrative capacities, operational professionalism, and democratic accountability, demonstrating full readiness to execute their constitutional and democratic mandates independently.
Commending Major General Barbano’s Tenure
Expressing gratitude on behalf of the Assembly, Haxhiu praised Major General Barbano for leading the mission with profound professionalism, institutional gravity, and respect for Kosovo’s sovereignty during a highly delicate regional period.
Closing her remarks, the Speaker extended her best wishes for Barbano’s future endeavors, stating:
““I hope that you take with you the memory of a country that, while young in its statehood, remains clear in its democratic will and deeply committed to justice and its European future.””
