In a special ceremony in Pristina, Kosovo honored the son of US President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal for the Rule of Law, Beau Biden.
Former Delaware Attorney General, 20 years ago Beau worked in Kosovo as a legal advisor as part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's mission to establish a justice system in the war-torn country.
The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, said that the Presidential Medal for the Rule of Law is awarded after his death, "for his contribution in this field during his service in Kosovo". Mr. Beau Biden passed away in 2015 at the age of 46.
"As for Beau, we can humbly say that his legacy lives on - his actions continue to inspire us in Kosovo, as inspire the citizens of the United States, whose lives he could change." said the president of Kosovo.
US President Joe Biden, in a video message, expressed gratitude for recognizing the legacy of his son who, he said, worked in Kosovo with all his heart and fell in love with that country.
He underlined that by accepting the medal, he recognizes the progress achieved in the last 20 years in Kosovo, but, he said, there is still work to be done to fight corruption, to protect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, to build positive relations with neighboring countries and for economic development.
"The United States will remain Kosovo's unwavering partner in this work in order to prove together that democracies can respond to the needs of their citizens," President Biden said in a video message.
"The contribution of the United States of America and the American people to our country, to our freedom, to our right to exist, goes beyond the relationship of partnerships, as the world knows it today. In the good days, in the bad. , in the light and in the darkness, we feel your hand on our shoulders, Mr. President, let me tell you and all the citizens of the United States: Kosovo is your home, the men and women of your country, the staff members to your diplomatic staff and to all the people of America who wish to visit this country, we tell them that we will always see them as one of us, our institutions and, most importantly, every one of our citizens, I always welcome them with open arms," said President Osmani in her speech, who handed over the medal to the US Ambassador to Pristina, Philip Kosnett.
The US ambassador said: "Beau Biden represented the best that America can offer. He knew that in order for America to progress, Americans must be committed to the world. That is why many Americans like Beau, some in uniform and some in civilian suits, They served in Kosovo for the past two decades. They worked alongside friends in Kosovo to help Kosovo's freedom and independence ...".
He said that "the best way to honor Beau Biden's legacy is for all citizens of Kosovo from all communities, from all political parties, to continue their efforts to build what America's founders call a "perfect union" and America will be by your side at every step."
President Biden and his family attended in 2016 the naming ceremony of a street named after his son Joseph "Beau" Biden. The road leads to Bondsteel, the camp of several hundred American troops who continue to serve within the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo.
This is one of the streets bearing the names of American personalities, for some of whom have been erected busts and statues. In Pristina, the largest boulevard is named after former President Bill Clinton, valued for his role in NATO's campaign to end the war and atrocities of Serb forces in Kosovo. The boulevard, where his statue is located, intersects with the street named after former President George Bush, who recognized Kosovo's independence shortly after its proclamation in February 2008.
The bust of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, that of Senator Bob Dole, the street named after General Wesley Clark, are some of the signs that express gratitude for the irreplaceable American role in all political processes in Kosovo.