The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, laid wreaths of fresh flowers and paid homage at the grave of professor Ejup Statovci, on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the student protests and in honor of his life and work.
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Evoking October 1, 1997, Kurti said that on that day the silence under occupation was broken, the existing passivity was dismantled, and the entire people joined the students.
“Thanks to the then Rector, Professor Ejup Statovci, the student protests were elevated to the level of the University of Prishtina, and we, the teaching staff and we the students, were together on October 1, 1997, when the silence under occupation was broken, the passivity that existed was shattered, and the entire people united with the students who turned resistance into active resistance and gave a new dynamic to politics in Kosovo,” Kurti said.
He stressed that the students were demanding the liberation of university buildings, while professor Ejup Statovci stood at the forefront of students and teaching staff.
“We were demanding the liberation of university buildings. The University of Prishtina was the University of the Republic of Kosovo and Professor Ejup Statovci was at the forefront of students and all teaching staff,” he said.
Kurti recalled that at that time there were around 20,000 students and one thousand teaching staff.
“At that time there were somewhere around 20,000 students and one thousand teaching staff, and Rector Statovci was a leader, he was a highly respected professor, he was an academic, but at the same time gentle, yet determined. Wise, but active. A professor, but with the students,” Prime Minister Kurti said.
Bringing to memory the contribution of professor Statovci, Kurti also mentioned the year 1991, when he restarted the University of Prishtina after students and teaching staff had been expelled from university buildings.
“We never forget the year 1991 either, because I believe that is the moment when he proved himself at the proper, and I would say historical, height, when he restarted the University of Prishtina, after we had been expelled from university buildings,” Kurti said.
“Perhaps Ejup Statovci had it even harder when he restarted the University in 1991, than two decades before that year when the University of Prishtina had been founded. So, we can say that Ejup Statovci did not have it easier than Dervish Rozhaja, perhaps only harder,” the prime minister said.
He stressed that the University of Prishtina is the main institution of Albanians in former Yugoslavia in the second half of the 20th century.
“Therefore, the honor we pay to Professor Ejup Statovci is also an honor to the University, to this temple of knowledge and science, but at the same time also of resistance and politics,” Kurti said.
