The U.S. Ambassador, Jeff Hovenier, is concluding his mission in Kosovo with a visit to the statue of the late President Ibrahim Rugova, stating that this act mirrors the way he began his tenure.
Today, he had a farewell meeting with the country’s president, Vjosa Osmani, and afterward, they paid respects at the statue of the former president.
“As the President mentioned, three years ago, almost exactly three years ago, in early January 2022, I came to this country. I presented my credentials to the President, and my first official public act was to join the President in laying a wreath at the statue of former President Rugova. It seemed very appropriate to me that my final official act as the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo would close this circle by doing the same thing,” said Hovenier.
He praised Rugova’s perseverance and the values he stood for, as reported by Gazeta Express.
“I do this in memory of President Rugova and what he stood for: his insistence on the rights of all people in Kosovo, his commitment to a sovereign, democratic, multiethnic, and prosperous state, and his determination to pursue these goals in line with the highest values of the international community.”
Hovenier mentioned that he had met Rugova when he was a “junior diplomat.”
“I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was a very young diplomat at the time, and I respected him immensely. Therefore, I am very proud and honored to perform this final official act in his honor.”
He added that his country wants to see Kosovo thrive and said there is no doubt that Kosovo has made progress.
“I also want to thank the people of Kosovo. It has been the job of my dreams to serve as U.S. Ambassador here for these three years and to have had the opportunity to work together with the people of Kosovo to help advance the country.”
“The United States is committed to our partnership. We want to see Kosovo succeed and progress. When I think about how this country was when I first began working for it in the late ’90s, when I think about how it was at the time of independence, and when I think about how it is now, there is no doubt about the progress and the capacity of the people of Kosovo, their resilience in realizing their vision for a sovereign, independent, democratic, multiethnic, prosperous, and successful state.”
“It has been a pleasure and an honor for me to play a small role in supporting this process. Together with the American people, I wish you all every success. I will leave as an even stronger friend of Kosovo than I was when I arrived,” Hovenier concluded.
