A statement attributed to US Congressman Joe Wilson, who is alleged to have said that "It is a great fortune that the people of Kosovo have a prime minister like Albin Kurti," was published on Facebook by the page ""Union of Albanians in Europe - European Union of Albanians".
What's wrong with this claim?
Hibrid.info searched for the alleged statement in both Albanian and English. The search did not find any articles in the media in Albanian language apo English, nor any other credible source where Wilson made the alleged statement.
FACTS
The meeting between Kurti and Wilson took place on September 21, 2026 in New York, within the framework of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The official announcement of Prime Minister's Office for this meeting does not contain the alleged statement.
According to the official announcement, the meeting discussed deepening Kosovo-US relations, with a focus on security and defense, investment and the rule of law. Also discussed were Kosovo's goal of NATO membership, continued cooperation with the US and the partnership of the Kosovo Security Force with the Iowa National Guard, which dates back to 2011.
Kurti and Wilson also spoke about security in the Western Balkans, maintaining the region's Euro-Atlantic orientation, and Kosovo's participation in international organizations, including Kosovo's aspiration to advance towards full participation in the OSCE.
A special part of the discussion was dedicated to Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. According to the announcement of the Prime Minister's Office, their underrepresentation in public institutions, police, judiciary and health, the passivation of addresses, obstacles to education in the Albanian language and the non-recognition of diplomas obtained in Kosovo were discussed. Kurti requested that these issues be addressed in the Helsinki Commission and in communications with Belgrade.
At the end of the official announcement, it is stated that Kurti thanked Wilson for his support for Kosovo and his commitment to security, democracy and human rights issues in the region. He also invited the American congressman to visit Kosovo again, together with a delegation from the US Congress.
The statement is not even found in Wilson's official sources.
The search was also conducted on Congressman Joe Wilson's official website. In his "Press Releases", where the official announcements and statements of his office are published, no announcement of the meeting with Kurti or any statement with the alleged content is found. The list of recent publications in this section includes announcements published up to August 2026, but does not contain the statement in question.
Also, the alleged statement was not found in searches conducted on Joe Wilson's public accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X, with his name and with different variants of the wording in Albanian and English.
Analyze
A statement attributed to US Congressman Joe Wilson, that "it is a great fortune that the people of Kosovo have a prime minister like Albin Kurti", has been found and published on Facebook.
Searches in Albanian and English have not found any credible source documenting this statement. It is not found in the official announcement of the Kurti-Wilson meeting, on Wilson's official website, or on his public social media accounts.
During the Kurti-Wilson meeting, Kosovo-US relations, security, NATO membership, the rule of law, as well as the issues of Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja were discussed.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as "Fake News".
rationale
The “Fake News” rating is given to informational content that is entirely fabricated or that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be defined as having been created and distributed with the intent to misinform the public, i.e., to present a claim that is completely false as fact.