The Office of the President of Kosovo issued a press release which informs that President  Atifete Jahjaga, was received today at the Holy See in the Vatican in private audience by His Holiness, Pope Francis.

"In an over 40-minute and very cordial meeting, President Jahjaga expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for the reception, considering it as a gesture of trust and recognition of Kosovo’s efforts to strengthen interfaith harmony, as well as of the ambitions to live in peace and freedom in a society of equal citizens.

President Jahjaga thanked Pope Francis for His messages of hope and inclusion and appreciated the supportive role of the Holy See for Kosovo during the hard periods of its history.

She said that on its difficult path, Kosovo has been inspired by the instructions of Pope John Paul II and the patience and humanity of Mother Teresa.

President Jahjaga said that Kosovo today, as a new state in Europe, has passed through a hard history of repression and ethnic cleansing and that in the foundations of its construction it has individual and collective sacrifice. She stressed that Kosovo is recognized by 108 countries of the world and said she hopes that the Holy See will decide to support the vision of an independent and democratic Kosovo.

Talking about Kosovo’s strategic objectives to become an equal member of international organizations, primarily of the EU, the UN and NATO, President Jahjaga said that Kosovo is aiming to become an added value, based on its tradition of diversity, multiculturalism and coexistence.

President Jahjaga stressed that Kosovo today is a secular state but also an inspiring story of interfaith harmony and equality amongst all citizens, without distinction. She said that after the war ended, in an effort to preserve multi-ethnicity and multiculturalism, Kosovo has guaranteed the rights of all communities and has also continued to strengthen interfaith dialogue, allowing the religious leaders, of the three religions, to build close relations between themselves.

President Jahjaga said that Kosovo today marks a joint success story of the people and its institutions and the international community, as an important factor of peace and stability and promoting good neighborliness, paving its path towards European integration , for which there is complete consensus of all its citizens without distinction," informs the press release.