European Parliament members told how Kosovo supports Ukrainian journalists during the war

Last week, President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Her speech at the plenary session was dedicated to the prospects of membership in the European Union and contained many important messages, including those concerning Ukraine. A separate part of the speech was a story about the professional protection program for Ukrainian journalists titled Journalists-In-Residence Programme In Kosovo. The first participant in the program, Liudmyla Makei from Kropyvnytskyi (Kirovohrad Region), was also among the members of the Kosovo delegation to Strasbourg.

“This program was created thanks to the support of our institutions and civil society in order to help them speak the truth,” Vjosa Osmani emphasized, addressing the parliamentarians. “Liudmyla said she chose Kosovo because she wants to see life in the post-war country with her own eyes. She realized that the people of Kosovo would understand her best thanks to our sharing of experiences. My people also know the feeling of freedom, will, and peace, and I hope that Ukrainians will have this feeling when they win the war with Russia.”

Among the delegation members were well-known Kosovar men and women proud of their compatriots.

For example, Fahrije Hoti (on the left) founded the Krushë cooperative, where more than fifty women from her village work. Most of them were widowed during the Kosovo War of 1998-1999. Fahrije Hoti proved that gender stereotypes have no place in modern society. Last year, she was recognized as a European Of The Year.

Blerta Basholli is a writer, director, and producer. She studied in the United States and then returned to her homeland. She shot a film about widows from Krushë and created many other successful projects. One of them is the feature film Hive. This is the first Kosovar film that entered the shortlist of nominees for the Oscar.

Vasfije Krasniqi Goodman is the first Kosovar woman who was able to publicly tell the world about the rape she experienced during the war. Today, she actively defends human rights and embodies the spirit of indomitability.

Hana Qerimi is the vice-president of the Kosovo Association of Information and Communication Technologies (STIKK) board and the founder of the international companies Digital School and Starlabs, which teach young people technology and programming.

Captain Exon Sila is a senior military officer of the Kosovo Security Forces. In February 2022, after a powerful earthquake in Turkiye, he saved many lives, including a two-year-old girl and her mother.

The quintessence of the President of Kosovo’s speech in the European Parliament was a call to unite and support each other. In the context of full-scale Russian aggression, Vjosa Osmani noted that the European community’s response to Russia “must be clear and immediate.”

“European unity was historic, but we must go further to ensure the victory of Ukraine and a just peace. This moment calls for leaders to come together and make bold decisions. We should cooperate more; we should be united by the values that represent us,” Vjosa Osmani said.

She talked about how much Kosovo and Ukraine have in common. Including the colors on the state flags of both countries: blue and yellow symbolize hope for a new dawn.

NUJU Information Service