This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Kosovo has awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal on the Rule of Law to Beau Biden — the late son of U.S. President Joe Biden – for his work helping to strengthen the Balkan country’s justice system.
In a ceremony in Pristina hosted by Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on August 1, U.S. Ambassador Philip Kosnett received the medal on behalf of Biden’s family.
Beau Biden worked in Kosovo after the 1998-99 war with U.S. military forces and also with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to help train local prosecutors and judges.
He died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46.
In a prerecorded message that was aired during the event in Pristina, President Biden described the award as a “a great honor to recognize the legacy of our son.”
He said his son “fell in love with the country” when he spent time there.
“That’s why he was so committed to working with the people of Kosovo to make sure that the war crimes were thoroughly investigated and professionally prosecuted, to help Kosovo build a fair judicial system capable of bringing justice and reconciliation to the country,” Biden said.
Biden visited Kosovo as vice president in 2016 when the country named a street after Beau Biden.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 with Western backing, but Serbia still refuses to recognize it and considers Kosovo part of its territory.
