Ibrahim Rugova Quotations

Kosovo is a small country but it also has a lot of riches that were granted to us by God.

So as far as Serbia is concerned, it does not have the right to influence the privatization or to claim any property, because Kosovo is a former member of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The different Ministries have to work more on the promotion of the country, to build Kosovo's public image. Concrete projects must be assembled, in order to activate our businessmen to have more contacts. We have to create a positive image about ourselves.

My vision is to have an independent Kosovo, democratic, with a politically tolerant society and with a solid economy, integrated into the EU, the NATO and to continue with our good relations with the USA.

I want to emphasize the fact that the independence of Kosovo should and will be recognized.

As the president of Kosovo, I am more concerned about the current situation with the employment standing at around 70 % of the population, which is young, with great potential, speaking many foreign languages and having wide expertise.

We have used the presence of UNMIK, as well as other European and American agencies to establish a legal framework compatible with the European Union and that is already an advantage. We have seen the positive effects of this and our parliament will continue to go this way.

During these two and a half years that have followed the war, the most urgent problem we have encountered was: to activate the public enterprises, to bring them up to the level that international markets demand and we are just now getting them prepared for privatization.

My vision is that our country should be integrated in the EU, to transfer a part of our independence there. It is also our duty to do it, if we want to establish trade and a sound economy. This is the vision that I am working on and I will continue to work in the future.

Kosovo today is closer to Europe than other countries in the region of South Eastern Europe.

We have the EURO as a currency, which means a lot. It has not just stabilized the situation in Kosovo politically and economically, but also facilitated the direct contact that we have with Europe.

First, we will focus on the privatization of small and medium sized enterprises, followed by the medium size industry and then we will move on to the heavy industry.

Serbia did not want to recognize our country in a peaceful way, so that is why they wanted to destroy us. All our efforts to find a peaceful solution were impossible. In order to save the people, NATO had to intervene.

Our government is ready to guarantee their investments for them, and then we will create tax incentives. We are interested in having all these things and with the privatization we also want to create more jobs and better conditions for the workers.

As you see the political problems are closely connected with the economical problems. With the help of politics, we will open the way for the economy and this is why all these problems are included in the program of the newly elected government.

However, we still have the problem of free travel and movement, since the Travel Documents issued by UNMIK as the substitute to passports, are not fully recognized yet by all countries.

Today, our economy is divided: fifty percent is the public economy and fifty percent is the private economy that includes small companies employing from 4 to 200 workers.

The privatization law draft was recently released and I believe that very soon we will start applying it, of course taking into consideration the provisions of United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

We had a lot of international help especially from the EU and USA, which helped us to get out of this phase of emergency, to give some dynamism to Kosova.

There will be a lot of competitive and strong companies coming here and even though Kosovo is a small country that undoubtedly has a lot to offer to global trade; one of our main interests is to expose it to the world market.

The possibility of an interim and temporary accord is under consideration.

there is a readiness to move ahead toward a peaceful political solution to the Kosovo issue.

make Albanians flee their country or accept the Serb rule and give up their demands.

Madame Albright put it plainly, ... If the Albanians cannot accept to cooperate, we will isolate them. If Belgrade cannot agree to cooperate, they will be bombed. There was no diplomacy.

Only the arrival of NATO forces can ensure security of all citizens (in Kosovo) and create conditions for a peaceful solution of the crisis.

If we don't have an international force there, there will be an empty Kosovo, and that is what the extremists in Belgrade want.

I believe that we can assure that everybody will take part in this agreement and cooperate with the OSCE mission. The people of Kosovo are interested in an international presence that will protect them.

I am two times (their) elected leader, I have a right to speak ... and even these days ... the (refugee) camps of Macedonia, Albania accept me, respect me.

For two and a half years we have achieved a great development and the decision to go further towards the democracy of Kosovo was a success too.

We take this opportunity once again to call for the formal recognition of the independence of Kosovo as soon as possible.

The pace is quickening. We're getting into December, and we'd really like to move ahead,

It is necessary to establish ban on military flights over Kosovo. That is one of the ways to stop Serbian war machinery in Kosovo.

is by all means the best solution that would bring peace to the whole region.

will be here to help us create a climate of confidence and a climate of peace.

To make conditions for ... international security forces in Kosovo, to create security for the people, and to return the people to Kosovo, is the major objective for us now, for me personally and for the people of Kosovo,

those in power (who) now refuse to relinquish even the tiniest part of that power.

We will continue to work even harder for the recognition of Kosovo's independence,

We also reiterated that the best solution for Kosovo is to be an independent and neutral country,

especially the United States and the European Union.

These armed groups of people have appeared in a very specific environment, and we have been trying and doing our best to bring them under control and eventually make them behave in a disciplined way, ... But the Serbian police are deliberately keeping them isolated so as to make any contacts impossible.

The situation in Kosovo is very difficult and dangerous. The offensive by Serbian police and military forces continues, as well as the shelling of Albanian villages ... In other parts of Kosovo, repression continues.

As far as privatization is concerned, we will follow the international norms, and all foreign companies have to comply with international standards.

This is a big day for Kosovo. These are the first free elections in free Kosovo and they are an important step toward freedom, independence and democracy for Kosovo.

All political forces should fully cooperate with KFOR and international administration, those being the guarantees for the reconstruction of a free and democratic Kosovo,

increased U.S. presence in Kosovo and for more protection on the part of the United States for the people of Kosovo.

In all this time that we built our state, that in time became more powerful, Belgrade lost its nerve and decided to destroy everything,

I have no magic solutions to offer you, no magic bullets for peace,

I am going to meet everyone, including the KLA, to find out what they think.

Air strikes and missiles are sufficient in order to destroy the military installations of Serbia, but ground troops are necessary in order to protect the population of Kosovo,

The independence of Kosovo is the best solution,

The future status is open... and still needs to be resolved,