Kosovo Leaders Honor Victims of the September 11 Attacks at Pristina Memorial
Twenty-five years after the attacks on the United States, Kosovo’s acting president and prime minister gather at the “Kosovo Remembers” memorial to commemorate the victims and reaffirm the country’s close relationship with the United States.
Kosovo’s senior institutional leaders gathered in Pristina on September 11, 2026, to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attacks carried out in the United States twenty-five years earlier. Acting President Albulena Haxhiu and Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti led the official commemoration (përkujtim) at the “Kosovo Remembers” memorial plaque. The ceremony was marked by considerable solemnity (solemnitet) as officials paid tribute to those who lost their lives. It also served as a renewed expression of Kosovo’s solidarity (solidaritet) with the United States and the American people.
The memorial ceremony took place in the courtyard shared by Kosovo’s Government and Assembly buildings in the centre of Pristina. Officials gathered around the memorial (memorial) carrying the words “Kosovo Remembers,” a permanent reminder of the attacks of September 11, 2001. Wreaths and official tributes gave the event a strong sense of reverence (nderim i thellë) for the victims and their families. The location also gives the remembrance considerable political symbolism (simbolikë) because it places the memory of an American tragedy directly beside Kosovo’s central state institutions.
Haxhiu used her remarks to reconstruct the ordinary beginning of the morning that would become one of the most consequential days of the twenty-first century. She recalled the apparent normality (normalitet) of September 11 before the first hijacked aircraft struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. in New York. She noted the precise chronology (kronologji) of the event and pointed out that it was 2:46 p.m. in Kosovo when the first aircraft hit. Within minutes, television coverage created an immediate sense of global proximity (afërsi) to the catastrophe even for people thousands of kilometres away.
For many people in Kosovo, the attacks carried an especially powerful emotional meaning because of the country’s close relationship with the United States. Haxhiu described the events as an attack on freedom (liri) and on the democratic principles with which Kosovars strongly identified. She also emphasised the assault on human dignity (dinjitet) represented by deliberate attacks against ordinary civilians. In Kosovo’s political interpretation, those shared values created a particularly strong sense of affinity (afri) with Americans experiencing the tragedy.
Haxhiu recalled that the reaction in Kosovo after the attacks went beyond expressions of sympathy. Some citizens reportedly demonstrated remarkable spontaneity (spontanitet) by going to the American office in Pristina and offering to volunteer alongside U.S. forces. That reaction reflected the extraordinary attachment (lidhje) many Kosovars already felt toward the United States only two years after the 1999 war. The episode remains a striking example of the public reciprocity (reciprocitet) Kosovars associated with American support during their own period of conflict.
Kurti concentrated his remarks on the human scale of the September 11 attacks and the people whose lives were lost. He recalled the casualty (viktimë) figure of 2,977 people killed directly in the attacks. He also emphasised the continuing aftermath (pasoja afatgjata) for survivors and people who later died from illnesses associated with exposure at the attack sites. His speech therefore framed September 11 not as a tragedy confined to one morning but as an enduring human trauma (traumë) whose effects have continued for decades.
The acting prime minister devoted particular attention to police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel who responded while the attacks were unfolding. He highlighted the extraordinary self-sacrifice (vetësakrifikim) of first responders who entered dangerous areas while thousands of people were attempting to escape. Kurti described their actions as an enduring example of heroism (heroizëm) for future generations. His emphasis on rescue workers transformed the commemoration into a broader reflection on civic courage (guxim) in moments of extreme danger.
The September 11 attacks involved four commercial aircraft hijacked by members of al-Qaeda. Two aircraft were deliberately flown into the Twin Towers in an unprecedented act of terrorism (terrorizëm) in New York City. A third aircraft struck the Pentagon, while passengers and crew on the fourth showed extraordinary resistance (rezistencë) before the plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks produced enormous physical destruction and created a global security watershed (pikë kthese) whose consequences influenced international politics for decades.
The 2026 anniversary had particular significance because it marked exactly one quarter of a century since the attacks. A twenty-five-year anniversary creates considerable historical distance (distancë historike) because an entire generation has now grown up without personal memories of September 11 itself. Public commemorations help prevent the gradual erosion (zbehje) of collective memory as eyewitness generations become older. They also provide an opportunity for historical transmission (përcjellje) so younger citizens understand why the attacks remain politically and emotionally significant.
Kosovo’s commemorations extended beyond the morning ceremony involving the country’s acting leaders. The association “Friends of America” organised its traditional tribute (homazh) in Mother Teresa Square in Pristina later on September 11. Organisers displayed the names of victims in a public act of remembrance (kujtim) connected with the twenty-fifth anniversary. The event demonstrated that commemoration in Kosovo has both an official and a civic dimension (dimension) rather than belonging exclusively to government institutions.
The civic ceremony also drew attention to three people of Albanian origin who were among those killed in the attacks. Organisers specifically remembered Mon Gjonbalaj, Simon Dedvukaj and Rrok Camaj, giving the anniversary an additional element of personal bereavement (zi) within the Albanian community. Their names created a direct human connection (lidhje) between the broader American tragedy and Albanian communities in the United States. Remembering individual victims also helps prevent the enormous overall death toll from becoming an abstract statistic (statistikë) detached from individual lives.
“Friends of America” and organisations connected with Kosovo’s wartime veterans also organised a blood-donation activity in Ferizaj in honour of the victims. This converted remembrance into a practical act of altruism (altruizëm) rather than limiting commemoration to speeches and ceremonial gestures. Blood donation provided a form of civic service (shërbim) consistent with the emphasis placed on first responders and people who helped strangers during the attacks. Such activities give public remembrance a tangible legacy (trashëgimi) by linking memory with actions intended to help others.
Kosovo’s particularly strong response to September 11 cannot be separated from the history of Kosovo-U.S. relations. The United States played a major role in the international intervention (ndërhyrje) that accompanied NATO’s 1999 campaign during the Kosovo conflict. Following the conflict, U.S. troops participated in the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping (ruajtje paqeje) mission established to help maintain security. Those developments created a lasting political bond (lidhje e fortë) between much of Kosovo’s Albanian population and the United States.
That relationship continued when Kosovo declared independence on February 17, 2008. The United States formally granted recognition (njohje) to Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state the following day. Washington subsequently established diplomatic relations (marrëdhënie diplomatike) with Pristina and continued supporting Kosovo’s institutions and international integration. American support consequently became an important element of Kosovo’s foreign-policy orientation (orientim).
September 11 commemorations have therefore developed into a recurring expression of the wider relationship between Kosovo and the United States. Kosovo’s institutions have shown considerable consistency (vazhdimësi) by holding memorial ceremonies on successive anniversaries. Previous presidents, prime ministers and parliamentary leaders have repeatedly used the occasion to reaffirm political friendship (miqësi) with the United States. The annual ceremonies have gradually become part of Kosovo’s diplomatic tradition (traditë) as well as an act of remembrance for the victims.
The memorial itself gives this tradition a permanent physical location in Pristina. A fixed public monument creates a form of institutional memory (kujtesë institucionale) that survives changes in governments and political leaders. Its inscription expresses a deliberate commitment to preservation (ruajtje) of the event within Kosovo’s public space. In this way, the plaque functions as a modest but durable repository (bartës kujtese) of Kosovo’s relationship with both the victims and the United States.
The leaders’ speeches also connected remembrance with a continued rejection of terrorism. By describing the attacks as an assault on democratic principles, Haxhiu emphasised the importance of resilience (qëndrueshmëri) in defending open societies from violent extremism. Kurti similarly linked Kosovo’s position with an unwavering commitment (angazhim) to freedom and democracy. Their statements placed the commemoration within a wider international counterterrorism (kundërterrorizëm) framework rather than treating September 11 solely as a historical event.
Such language also reflects Kosovo’s desire to present itself internationally as a reliable Western partner. Public support for the United States contributes to Kosovo’s diplomatic positioning (pozicionim) within the Euro-Atlantic political community. Cooperation with NATO and Western governments forms an important part of Kosovo’s international aspiration (aspiratë) for deeper integration into European and transatlantic institutions. Commemorating September 11 therefore carries an additional element of geopolitical identification (identifikim) alongside its human and historical meaning.
The ceremony also demonstrated how national memory can extend beyond events occurring within a country’s own territory. Kosovo has incorporated an American tragedy into its own public commemorative culture (kulturë përkujtimore) because of the emotional and political relationship between the two societies. Such remembrance can strengthen international empathy (empati) by encouraging citizens to understand the suffering experienced by people elsewhere. It also illustrates the capacity of collective memory to cross national boundaries (kufij) when societies believe they share important experiences or values.
For younger Kosovars born after 2001, September 11 is increasingly an event learned through schools, media, museums and ceremonies rather than personal memory. Annual events provide an opportunity for historical literacy (njohuri historike) by explaining what happened and why it changed international politics. They can also encourage reflection (reflektim) on the consequences of political violence without requiring younger generations to have experienced the original shock themselves. This intergenerational process helps maintain continuity (vazhdimësi) between eyewitness memory and historical understanding.
The twenty-fifth anniversary additionally highlighted the long-term consequences endured by survivors and emergency workers. Kurti’s remarks drew attention to continuing morbidity (sëmundshmëri) associated with illnesses and complications linked to the attacks and their aftermath. His focus on survivors broadened the concept of victimhood (status viktime) beyond people who died on September 11 itself. This longer perspective encourages greater recognition of the enduring human burden (barrë) created by catastrophic events.
The Pristina ceremony ultimately combined mourning, diplomatic friendship and a statement about political values. Kosovo’s leaders used the anniversary to reaffirm allegiance (përkushtim) to principles of freedom and democracy that they associate closely with their relationship with the United States. The event also demonstrated the enduring salience (rëndësi publike) of September 11 within Kosovo’s political culture twenty-five years after the attacks. By continuing the annual memorial tradition, Kosovo seeks to ensure that remembrance remains an active civic obligation (detyrim) rather than a fading historical ritual.
Key Albanian Vocabulary
përkujtim commemoration
solemnitet solemnity
solidaritet solidarity
memorial memorial
nderim i thellë reverence
simbolikë symbolism
normalitet normality
kronologji chronology
afërsi proximity
liri freedom
dinjitet dignity
afri affinity
spontanitet spontaneity
lidhje attachment
reciprocitet reciprocity
viktimë casualty
pasoja afatgjata aftermath
traumë trauma
vetësakrifikim self-sacrifice
heroizëm heroism
guxim courage
terrorizëm terrorism
rezistencë resistance
pikë kthese watershed
distancë historike historical distance
zbehje erosion
përcjellje transmission
homazh tribute
kujtim remembrance
dimension dimension
zi bereavement
statistikë statistic
altruizëm altruism
shërbim service
trashëgimi legacy
ndërhyrje intervention
ruajtje paqeje peacekeeping
lidhje e fortë bond
njohje recognition
marrëdhënie diplomatike relations
orientim orientation
vazhdimësi consistency
miqësi friendship
traditë tradition
kujtesë institucionale institutional memory
ruajtje preservation
bartës kujtese repository
qëndrueshmëri resilience
angazhim commitment
kundërterrorizëm counterterrorism
pozicionim positioning
aspiratë aspiration
identifikim identification
kulturë përkujtimore commemorative culture
empati empathy
kufij boundaries
njohuri historike historical literacy
reflektim reflection
sëmundshmëri morbidity
status viktime victimhood
barrë burden
përkushtim allegiance
rëndësi publike salience
detyrim obligation
