Pristina, 23 May 2014. Her Excellency Mrs Atifete Jahjaga, President of the Republic of Kosovo was invested as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I and a Gold Benemerenti Medallist of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George.
The President’s investiture took place at the Office of the President in Kosovo and was conducted by His Eminence Renato Raffaele, Cardinal Martino, Grand Prior of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George on behalf of HRH Prince Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro and Grand Master.
The investiture took place at the same time of the International Interfaith Conference ‘Religion and Politics: Enhancing Interfaith Dialogue as a Means of Democratic Development’ organised in Prizren by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo in partnership with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and the Community of St Egiddio.
Cardinal Martino also invested His Excellency Mr Hashim Thaçi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I and Mr Petrit Selimi, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kosovo as a Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Francis I.
Mr Lirim Greiçevci, Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the Court of St James’s, also was invested as a Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Francis I.
HE Mr Anthony Bailey, Delegate for Great Britain and Ireland & Grand Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations of the Constantinian Order and Mr Alberto Janelli, Private Secretary to HRH The Duke of Castro also attended.
These awards were granted in recognition of the work done in recent years in Kosovo by these individuals for peace-building and the example they set with their work for all faith and ethnic communities in Kosovo and the Balkan region.