Kosovo Prime Minister Visits Johnston

Prime Minister Thaci was on his way to Iowa when he issued his statement.  The next day, he met with Johnston school and city officials, and business leaders to talk about his country and his vision for its future.  A year ago, to the day, the President of Kosovo, Atifete Jajahga, met with many of the same Johnston leaders.  It was the first time most Johnston residents had heard about the country of Kosovo or had any contact with someone from that country.  Since then, many Kosovars have visited our community.

Just last month, we entered into a Sister City relationship with the city of Peja, Kosovo.  Mayor Ali Berisha and his staff spent several days in Johnston learning about our community, touring our schools and businesses, and sharing ideas about how we can help each other achieve our mutual goals.  Next month, I will travel to Peja to participate with Mayor Berisha in a reciprocal signing of our Sister City Agreement.  

With each visit, our relationship with the Kosovars is growing and deepening, and we are committed to developing it to the mutual benefit of both our citizens.  It’s exciting to know we have such a unique opportunity to impact each others’ lives.

Throughout their history, the Kosovars have been through so much but, like Iowans, they are incredibly resilient people.  They love their families and education is important to them.  Their economy is based in agriculture and they’re hard workers.  Also like us, and perhaps most importantly, they’re a warm and friendly people.   Even though we live half way around the world from each other, we have so much in common.

The journey with our twin city, Peja, Kosovo, has just begun.  Watch for opportunities to learn more about our Sister City relationship and how you can get involved.