Kosovë, përurohet Rruga e Kombit, Berisha: Shqiptarët më të bashkuar

Greater Albania

First step: Albania - Kosovo, highway, segment inaugurated
12/11/2011

Kosovo inaugurated the first segment of the Ibrahim Rugova Highway, part of the “Nation’s Road”. The ceremony in the border between Kosovo and Albania brought together the Kosovo President, Atifete Jahjaga and the respective Prime Ministers Hashim Thaci and Sali Berisha.

In this ceremony were present the US senator, Eliot Engel, and the US Diplomat in Prishtina, Cristopher Dell.

President Jahjaga expressed her pleasure for the construction of this road that unites people and helps the economic development.

“The Durres-Prishtina highway shortens the distances and approaches Kosovo to the Adriatic and Ionian seas. This was made possible by the dedication of the institutions and the citizens’ sacrifices for connecting Kosovo with the European countries. Thanks to this road, countries and people will unite and will cooperate”, Jahjaga declared.

Berisha declared that this road unites the Albanians and is the realization of our fathers’ ideals, who sacrificed for a free and independent Albania and Kosovo.

“We honor the wise man of the Albanian ideal, Prof. Ibrahim Rugova. Kosovo gave a masterpiece to its people, only three years after independence. The highway is the road towards the future of Kosovo”, Berisha declared.

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, declared that this highway is the realization of an old dream.

“This is the highway of the new life, in service of all citizens, not only for Kosovo and Albania, but for the entire region and Europe. This is the project of the new Kosovo, the biggest and most modern in our history. This is the project of the new century, of freedom and independence. This is the project of the newest Europeans”, Thaci declared.

The highway was inaugurated for the first 38 km, with a cost of 331 million EUR. The 28 meters wide road starts in the Vermica border checkpoint between Kosovo and Albania and ends in Sllapuzhan, Suhareka, where it is connected with the existing Prishtina-Prizren road.

This segment shortens the distance from Prishtina to Tirana and avoids one part of the old road, where there’s a small speed limit and traffic is frequently heavy. The entire Vermice-Merdeare highway will be 102.8 km long and the speed limit is 120 km.