Tony Blair greeted by five Toniblers in Kosovo

(Patria) - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Kosovo this week to mark 25 years since the end of the Kosovo war with Serbia, reports Index.

He was given a warm welcome by President Vjosa Osmani, a group of children waving British flags, and five men named Tonibler.

They were named after Blair because of his role in liberating the country.

As British Prime Minister, Blair helped organize an international coalition to launch airstrikes to force Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević to end his military campaign.

Tony Blair met 5 Toniblers in Kosovo. pic.twitter.com/98o8VxuwER

— kos_data (@kos_data) June 10, 2024

Blair therefore enjoys hero status in Pristina. However, this is not his first time meeting namesakes. During a visit to Pristina in 2010, he met nine boys named in his honor.

They told him then that his name was "quite common" in Kosovo. In a special session of the Kosovo parliament, Blair said he did not regret his advocacy for Kosovo, writes Politico.

- Meeting Kosovar refugees in camps near Skopje, listening to their heartbreaking stories of displacement and cruelty, their faces desperately seeking help. We helped and I have never regretted it - Blair said.

Blair is not the only world leader from the 1990s who is appreciated in Kosovo. A street in Pristina is named after former US President Bill Clinton, while former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has her own monument.

Clinton and Madeleine are also common post-war names.