FLASH NEWS
Friend of Albanians - The passing of Eliot Engel, the great supporter of Kosovo in the US Congress! Reactions in Kosovo
2026-04-10 23:14:52 / AKTUALITET
Former US congressman Eliot Engel, one of Kosovo's biggest supporters, has died at the age of 79.
He left the US Congress in January 2021, after more than three decades in office.
Following the news of Engel's death, Kosovo's acting president, Albulena Haxhiu, said that the country lost a proven friend and unwavering supporter of Kosovo's freedom and statehood.
"For more than three decades in the US Congress, he stood on the right side of history. From calling for NATO intervention in 1999 against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, to supporting independence in 2008 and the consolidation of our state, Engel was a staunch ally of Kosovo at every stage," she wrote on social media.
There were also reactions in Kosovo from party leaders in Kosovo.
The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Bedri Hamza, said that Engel stood by Kosovo at a time when "history was being written."
"He was the voice of justice for us in the United States of America. His friendship and contributions will never be forgotten."
The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, said Engel was a "true friend of Albanians" who stood with Kosovo "in the darkest days and the best days."
"His voice helped shape our path to freedom," he wrote in X.
Meanwhile, Democratic congressman in the House of Representatives, Ritchie Torres, said that Engel was a "vocal advocate for Kosovo and the Albanian community, when few others were paying attention."
Engel's support for Kosovo
Engel, a Democrat, had represented parts of the Bronx - a New York City neighborhood with a large and politically active Albanian population - since 1989.
He was the main rallying force for Congressional support for the recognition of Kosovo's independence from Serbia in 2008.
His unwavering support for Kosovo, over decades, made him famous in Kosovo.
Kosovo has named a road and a highway in Engel's honor and has even issued a postage stamp with his photograph.
This made him a controversial figure in Serbia, the country that continues to refuse to accept Kosovo's independence and lobbies against its recognition by the international community.
On December 8, 2020, at a hearing in the House of Representatives, Engel spoke about the Western Balkans, and specifically about Kosovo.
"I didn't know the passion I would develop for a small corner of Europe called the Balkans," he said.
"I have traveled to every country in the Western Balkans multiple times, met with so many leaders from so many parties, and loved the rich diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and religions. But no country has touched my heart more than Kosovo."
Engel entered Congress as Yugoslavia was violently breaking up along ethnic lines. He became involved in many regional disputes through his position on the Foreign Affairs Committee, eventually earning a reputation as an expert on the Balkans.
He was among the first American lawmakers to call on Bill Clinton's administration to intervene, in 1998, to stop the actions of Yugoslav and Serbian forces in Kosovo.
A decade later, he was even more vocal in Congress for the US's recognition of Kosovo's independence./ REL
Happening now...
Denouncing Berishism is a prerequisite for denouncing the government
Nga Blendi Kajsiu
ideas
top
Alfa recipes
TRENDING 
services
- POLICE129
- STREET POLICE126
- AMBULANCE112
- FIREFIGHTER128