The former prime minister of Italy, Massimo D’Alema, recalled the time when he met with the former president of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova.
He said that the Balkans need the spirit of Rugova more than ever.
According to him, Rugova said that “Kosovo’s independence would stabilize the region”.
“Rugova, this great intellectual, I had the pleasure of meeting him and discussing the fate of his country. Today, as long as we remember Rugova, we are remembering the sacrifices of the people of Kosovo”, he said at the International Conference “Rugova and the West”.
He said that the meeting with Rugova was an extraordinary opportunity.
“It was a very difficult moment, a very difficult time, the NATO bombing had started a long time ago. We thought of Rugova as the person who can best present the guarantee for Kosovo. I remember that Bill Clinton called me and thanked me, I told him; you have to call Rugova because I haven’t done anything to condition him. Bill Clinton was convinced of the strength of Rugova’s personality,” said D’Alema.
“Rugova was a prophet of peace and rightfully received the title of Gandhi of the Balkans. “Rugova in Rome, at the press conference, thanked NATO for saving his people,” he said.
Rugova’s role was irreplaceable even after the war, as D’Alema said, the people of Kosovo elected him President of the country again.
