Former US congressman and Kosovo supporter Eliot Engell has died at the age of 79, US officials have announced.
Engel was a Democrat. He had represented New York in the U.S. Congress since 1989.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeEngel was also present at the solemn session of the declaration of Kosovo's Independence on February 17, 2008.
He has been among the most supportive figures for Kosovo in Congress. He also led the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
In a 2023 article, he called for the US to stand with Kosovo, arguing that the Kosovo-Serbia disputes are not being properly addressed.
He had described NATO's intervention in Kosovo as the greatest foreign policy success for the West.
He played an important role in denouncing Serbia's violation of Albanian rights.
Acting President of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, described Engel's death as the loss of a friend and unwavering supporter of Kosovo's freedom and statehood. She said that Engel's contribution will remain a permanent part of Kosovo's history.
"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. On behalf of the institutions and citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, I express my most sincere condolences to the Engel family and to the people of the United States of America," Haxhiu wrote on Facebook.