Mitrovica, 20 February 2025 – With a solemn ceremony held in Stantërg, the 36^th anniversary of the Trepça miners’ strike was marked. Present on this occasion were the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, Faton Peci, and the miners.

Recalling the 1989 strike, Prime Minister Kurti emphasized that Trepça has also been a social actor in Kosovo’s history, with regional impact and international resonance.

“The miners’ demands were set out in 10 points, where point 8 stated: the fate of Albanians be addressed at the United Nations. So, from that strike onward, the internationalization of the issue was sought,” Kurti highlighted.

Prime Minister Kurti assessed that the future of Trepça lies in the hands of those who build it every day.

Meanwhile, Minister Rizvanolli stated that the “Miners’ Week” commemorates the great strike of our miners 36 years ago, who opposed efforts to subjugate Kosovo and to usurp its land.

“Our miners rose in defense of Kosovo’s right to self-governance. Through their resistance to the occupying Serbia, they revealed the foundations of freedom and democracy, which rest upon love for the homeland, honest work, and continuous care for the people’s wealth,” said Rizvanolli.

She also stressed that the miners’ strike was not merely an event in Kosovo’s history, but also a narrative for the history and future of all Europe.

Minister Rizvanolli added that there is significant work ahead, as the year 2025 will be a year of reforms for Trepça, aiming to make Trepça a sustainable enterprise.

The Trepça miners’ strike took place in 1989, from 20 to 28 February, when around 1,300 miners, through a hunger strike, opposed the repressive measures of the Milošević occupying regime, which then turned into a nationwide resistance movement.