On Albania visit, Bill Clinton meets Clintons and Hillarys of Kosovo

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton delivers his speech during a welcoming ceremony in Tirana, Albania, July 3, 2023. REUTERS/Florion Goga

TIRANA (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Monday met 12 children and men from Kosovo who were named after him in gratitude for his role in stopping the 1998-99 Kosovo War.

Clinton, who served as president from 1993 to 2001, is regarded as a hero in Kosovo and Albania for launching NATO air strikes against Serbia's forces in 1999. The strikes halted the war and allowed nearly 1 million Albanian refugees in Kosovo to return to their homes.