About Ibrahim Rugova:
Ibrahim Rugova was the first President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2006, and a prominent Kosovo Albanian political leader, scholar, and writer. He oversaw a popular struggle for independence, advocating a peaceful resistance to Yugoslav rule and lobbying for U.S. and European support, especially during the Kosovo War. He strongly emphasized the heritage of ancient Dardania, the independent kingdom and later province of the Roman Empire that included modern-day Kosovo, to strengthen the country's identity and to promote his policy of closer relations with the West. Owing to his role in Kosovo's history, Rugova has been dubbed "Father of the Nation" and "Gandhi of the Balkans," awarded, among others, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and posthumously declared a Hero of Kosovo.
Kosovo is a small country but it also has a lot of riches that were granted to us by God.
Ibrahim RugovaI want to emphasize the fact that the independence of Kosovo should and will be recognized.
Ibrahim RugovaKosovo today is closer to Europe than other countries in the region of South Eastern Europe.
Ibrahim Rugova