Majko: The Hague ruling does not change history, but proves the unbreakable ties between Kosovo and Albania

Former Albanian Prime Minister during the Kosovo War, Pandeli Majko, described today’s verdict by the Hague court as a dramatic ruling that, in his view, cannot rewrite history.

Majko has also experienced this development on a personal level. During the years of the war in Kosovo, he headed Albania’s government, while Hashim Thaçi was one of the KLA leaders and a member of Kosovo’s delegation in Rambouillet.

According to him, Thaçi headed the Rambouillet delegation, a process that, for the first time, established Kosovo as a subject of international rights. Majko described him as a fighter and a leader, stressing that he feels proud to have been his friend and that their friendship will be even stronger now.

Speaking to Top Channel, the former prime minister said the ruling represented an extraordinary human tragedy. He also expressed concern that, over time, the trial could affect how the Kosovo War is perceived historically.

Majko emphasized that the ruling of an international court does not change the past, while the weight it will carry in the future will depend on circumstances. Although there has been talk of an outcome that exonerates the KLA, he said he feels pessimistic because, in his view, there have been attempts for some time to distort its history.

He added that it cannot be said that the KLA emerged unblemished from this history, since it remains a fact that some of its members were killed or sentenced. For Majko, this is a tragedy that must be understood and assessed in all its depth.

The former prime minister called on Kosovo and Albania to respond with dignity and not to clash with the justice system. Referring to the footage following the ruling, he said that people, children and former KLA soldiers had been seen crying, demonstrating the extraordinary human dimension of this tragedy.

Majko stressed that anger toward the court and insults directed at a judicial ruling do not constitute strength, but weakness. According to him, this development has made it clear that Kosovo has no one but Albania, and Albania has no one but Kosovo.

He recalled that the legal battle is not over, as the appeals phase still remains. For this reason, Majko called for the case not to be viewed solely as a blow against the convicted individuals, but as an act that has affected everyone, noting that during wartime it is difficult to separate personal responsibility from collective responsibility.

The Specialist Chambers were established in 2015 by the Assembly of Kosovo, following constitutional amendments and agreements reached with the European Union. Majko considered Kosovo’s acceptance of them a price it chose to pay on its path toward international consolidation.

According to him, the creation of this court required a certain level of courage and cannot be used as a basis for accusations against Kosovo internationally or historically. Majko said that the conscience of Albanians knows that everything was paid for either with killings or with imprisonment, adding that they did not let them down.