The Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, accompanied by the Prime Minister in office, Albin Kurti, and the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Glauk Konjufca, hosted tonight Kosovo ambassadors and consuls currently on mission in various capitals of the world.

In her address to the participants, Acting President Haxhiu said that each of you serves in a different political environment and sees closely how interests and alliances change.

"What worries Washington is not always what worries Brussels, Ankara or any other capital. Many of the distinctions that once helped us understand the world are becoming less clear. Allies disagree, rivals cooperate where it is convenient, and interests often outweigh divisions we have taken for granted. And precisely when things change so quickly, diplomacy requires the patience to work even when the result is not immediately visible. It is said that "there is nothing dramatic in the success of a diplomat", because those small advances that, at first glance, may seem completely insignificant: a conversation at the right time, a relationship carefully maintained, the insistence on returning to an issue that is not resolved the first time. I believe you know this part of the job very well. Your work rarely makes the news, but often it is precisely there that things that later become important begin", emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.

She further said that Kosovo is still at that stage of its history when many things abroad have to be earned through hard work.

According to Acting President Haxhiu, there are countries where our name is well known and where we have friends who have been with us for years, adding further that there are also countries where we still have to explain who we are, what we want and why our issues deserve attention.

"This makes your work different from that of diplomats from countries with a much longer state history. In many cases, the relationship with the country where you serve is still new and a large part of the work falls on you. There are cases when you start almost from scratch and you have to build relationships step by step. A minister, an advisor or a journalist should know you even outside of the days of crisis, have spoken to you before the day comes when you have to ask them for something. That way, when a difficult moment comes, you don't start from scratch", said Acting President Haxhiu.

According to her, in many countries, Kosovo is still known through a certain period of its history, some connect it with the war, some with the declaration of independence, some with the developments we have had after the declaration of independence.

"From now on, no country is fully known. That is why the meeting with you is important. You give people the opportunity to get to know Kosovo beyond that moment in history with which they have connected it and see it as the country it is today", emphasized Acting President Haxhiu.

This post is also available in: SQSR