Almost like
home: Parading through the streets at Film City, the approximately
150 Norwegians serving at HQ Main in Pristina managed to celebrate
their Constitution Day according to traditional Norwegian
recipes of a national birthday.
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Hardly any
country in the world celebrates their Constitution Day like the
Norwegians. Marked by festive parades all over the country starring
school children and marching bands, and a remarkable lack of military
presence, they commemorate the signing of Norway's first constitution
on the 17th of May 1814 by turning this date into an annual national
birthday party.
COMKFOR Lt. Gen. Thorstein Skiaker obviously enjoyed celebrating
the Norwegian Constitution day in Little Norway at HQ Main
in Pristina. Helping himself with salmon and prawns, he surely
got a taste of some of the best food Norway has to offer.
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"Therefor the
contrasts are quite big, celebrating our constitution day here
in Kosovo," the Norwegian Senior officer, Colonel Ivar Haave,
said in his memorial speech at the Norwegian KFOR contingents'
ceremony at HQ Main in Pristina.
Wearing green
and celebrating with mainly men wearing green, the Colonel had
to settle with the fact that only a couple of the colorful Norwegian
national costumes were to be seen in the KFOR version of a traditional
Norwegian outdoor parade.
However, despite
the lack of children cheering and only a few colorful dressed
women, the approximately 150 Norwegians serving at the KFOR Headquarter
in Kosovo still managed to celebrate the day according to Norwegian
recipes of a national birthday. Parading through the streets at
the multinational community in Film City, waving Norwegian flags
and singing the national anthem, they also managed to draw a lot
of attention from their KFOR comrades on this day.
At night, not
only the attention was drawn to the Norwegians. Opening for international
celebrations, the Norwegian National Support Element (NSE) offered
free food and drinks at "Little Norway" to everyone in Film City.
Only you: Being the only KFOR girl wearing a traditional national
costume, 2nd Lt. Hanne Gylterud, became the natural centre
among the girls celebrating the Norwegian Constitution Day
in Film City in Pristina.
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Constitutional
framework in Kosovo
The 17th of May
commemorates the signing of Norway's first constitution in 1814,
which in turn ushered in the first concrete move toward independence
after centuries of first Danish, then Swedish rule.
Commenting upon
today's situation in Kosovo, the Norwegian Senior officer also
drew parallels in his memorial speech to the newly UN issue of
a key legal document paving the way for provisional self-government
in Kosovo.
"UNMIK has announced
the 17th of November as the date for the first elections in Kosovo.
Historical speaking, this is a large and important step in the
right direction," he said, pointing out especially unity as the
key to peace.
"Nowadays, most
Norwegians take peace almost for granted, but being here in Kosovo,
we get reminded that this is not a fact in a lot of places in
the world. Our history has however taught us that by standing
united it is possible to create a secure and stable community."
The Norwegian
Senior officer also thanked each and everyone at the ceremony
for their contribution as peacekeepers in Kosovo.
"Your efforts
as peacekeepers makes a difference. Together you contribute with
a large portion to the ongoing peace process."
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