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| Madeleine Albright while speaking to journalists, February, 1999 |
The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, declared Friday, March 25, a day of mourning, as a sign of honor for the former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, who passed away on Wednesday, March 23.
"Mrs. Albright recognized the pain of our people, because she herself had experienced persecution since childhood, so she remained determined against Milosevic until the end of his genocide in Kosovo. She has continuously supported Kosovo until the last breath, therefore the people of Kosovo will remember her forever", said Osmani in a statement issued by the Presidency.
State flags will be hoisted at half-mast in all state facilities in Kosovo, inside and outside the country.
Madeleine Albright was the first woman to be elected US Secretary of State in 1997. She served in that position until 2001, under the administration of former US President Bill Clinton.
Madeleine Albright was Secretary of State at the time of the NATO attacks on Serbian targets, which led to the liberation of Kosovo.
For her work for democracy and human rights, in 2012 she was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award in the US.
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| Madeleine Albright bust in Pristina |
For her contribution to the liberation of Kosovo, in Pristina, in 2019, on the 20th anniversary of the entry of NATO troops, a bust was unveiled in Pristina in her honor.