Kosovo officials visit Fort Dodge

Sister city relationship joins two communities

The people of Kosovo, a small nation in Europe's Balkans, are thankful for the United States, according to Ardian Gjini.

"The people of Kosovo and Gjakova will be forever grateful for what the United States has done for them," said Gjini, who is the mayor of Gjakova in Kosovo.

"We enjoy our freedom primarily because of the United States," he added.

Gjini and Arber Gola, the head of Gjakova's European Integration Sector, made a relatively short visit to Fort Dodge this week because Fort Dodge and Gjakova are sister cities. It is a connection between the two towns that began in 2016.

During a reception at the Ringland-Smeltzer House Tuesday evening, he said the people of Gjakova are happy to have a connection to the people of Fort Dodge.

"We want our young people to make as many friends as possible and have as many exchanges as possible so that the partnership we have now will last forever," Gjnini said.

There have already been multiple exchanges in which Fort Dodge teenagers have gone to Gjakova and youths from Gjakova have come to Fort Dodge. The Ann Smeltzer Charitable Trust, which owns the Ringland-Smeltzer House, has financially supported the youth exchanges.

Groups of Fort Dodge area leaders have visited Gjakova. Gjini and Gola came to Fort Dodge Monday night and were scheduled to return home today.

Fort Dodge residents who have made the trip to Gjakova may have seen a path in a local park named after their town. One of the paths is named Fort Dodge Lane. Gjini said Tuesday that he wants to put up a permanent stone sign marking the lane by the end of this year.

The connection between Iowa and Kosovo started with the Iowa National Guard. Troops from the Iowa Army National Guard were sent to Kosovo as peacekeepers in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Maj. Gen. Timothy Orr, a former adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, sought to expand the relationship between Iowa and Kosovo beyond purely military matters.

In 2013, Iowa and Kosovo became sister states. Three years later the connection between Fort Dodge and Kosovo was forged.

"The cooperation between the state of Iowa and our country is very tight," Gjini said.

He said Kosovo is the only country that has a consulate in Des Moines.