November 1, 2009 Kosovo set unveil statue honoring ex-US president Clinton Play video

(NECN/APTV) - Police in Kosovo increased security in the capital Pristina on Sunday ahead of former U.S. President Bill Clinton's arrival where he is to unveil an 11- foot statue of himself.

Police placed steel barriers at the site where the statue was to be unveiled and people in the streets waved U.S. and Kosovo flags.

Thousands of people were expected to flock into the capital to welcome Clinton, who is considered a hero for launching NATO's (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999.

The alliance's 78-day air war forced Serb troops out of Kosovo, paving the way for Kosovo's secession.

One ethnic Albanian, Kosovo's Albanians owed a lot to Clinton and defined him as "the man of the century." "I am here because we owe a lot to this worldly figure. He has been the man of the century, not only for the Albanians but for everyone, the man of the century, Bill Clinton," Beqir Smaka said.

Clinton was expected to meet local leaders and address Kosovo's 120-seat assembly before attending the statue-unveiling ceremony.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia last year, but Serbia has vowed never to recognize its statehood.

So far, 62 countries have recognized Kosovo's independence, including the U. S. and most states in the European Union.