Speech by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, at the promotion of the Joint Kosovo-Albania Alphabet Book
Respected President of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Jahjaga
Respected Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Mr. Sali Berisha,
Respected Ambassadors of the Republic of Albania and Kosovo in Prishtina and Tirana,
Respected Ministers of Education and other ministers;
Respected deputies and officials of the institutions of the Republics of Kosovo and Albania
Respected baca Adem and baca Rifat
Respected Mayor of Prizren and other Mayors of Kosovo and Albania
Respected compatriots from Albanian territories
Ladies and Gentlemen
Allow me, in my name and that of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, to congratulate you on this great day for Albanians everywhere. Congratulations everyone.
Today is a historic day for the Albanian nation, culture and civilization.
Today, we present for the first time the joint Albanian Alphabet Book, for the first time in the history of the Albanian nation, and this is an historic achievement.
This is the first joint Alphabet Book by authors from Albania and Kosovo. There are four authors, two ladies and two gentlemen. Congratulations!
It is no coincidence that we are gathered here in Prizren, where every Albanian would want to be.
Today, spiritually all Albanians where they live, in Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Presheva, Montenegro, the Diaspora, are with us, they are here in Prizren, they are with the Joint Alphabet Book.
We are gathered in this historic town, the spiritual capital of Albanians, the town between the political and administrative capitals of Tirana and Prishtina, in a town with a historic and just message, of the unification of Albanians in one state, and in European Kosovo.
Today, in the jubilee year of the 100 year anniversary of Albania’s Independence, the highest national institutions of Kosovo and Albania are promoting the most important text, the basic book of Albanian culture and education, the JOINT ALPHABET BOOK for Albanian schools.
This is a victory for the Albanian nation.
It is a victory for our two states.
It is a victory for all Albanians.
This could only be achieved by a free, civilized and sovereign people.
Over a century and a half ago, 168 years earlier when Albanians still had not created their homeland, patriots and famous intellectuals faced great challenges and dilemmas.
They had to put in place the foundations and orientation of our National Renaissance, orienting the movement for independence according to the path of western European culture.
Each of their actions was pioneering and at the same time, historic.
A people with a rich cultural and spiritual heritage built its first institutions upon the values of western civilization, from which it was violently divided for centuries.
The foundation of cultural clubs, the publication of Albanian magazines, and books, the collecting of folkloric heritage, and the creation of a military and political organization, the Albanian League of Prizren, had at their core one goal – raising national consciousness and creating an Independent Albania.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the foundation of our National Renaissance rests with dignity the author of the first Albanian Alphabet Book, in 1844, and the author of the political Encyclical treaty, who sacrificed for the national cause, the patriot Naum Veqilhraxhi.
Today, when our children and teachers are given the Joint Alphabet Book, they are obliged to offer words of thanks to the Renaissancist Naum Veqilharxhi and all others who contributed to the Albanian alphabet: Konstandin Kristoforidhi, Jani Vreto, Sami Frashëri, Parasqevi Qiriazi, Luigj Gurakuqi, Jani Mingë, Simon Shuteriqi, Mati Logoreci, Aleksandër Xhuvani and many other contemporary authors.
The fate of the book and of Albanian schools was identical with the fate of the Albanian people.
But, precisely through books and schools was born, grew and developed the dream of freedom.
From this national movement, Albania became an independent state in 1912.
After 100 years, today, the Albanian state is democratic, modern, a NATO member and with a clear Euro-Atlantic perspective.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Today, when we celebrate the Joint Alphabet Book Day, Kosovo has entered its 13th anniversary of freedom and its fifth year of independence.
A terrible past lies behind us, which is bitter, but has gone once and for all.
It is a past which must not be repeated in any form, neither by separation by borders with barbed wire, nor with the prohibition of Albanian books, segregation, murder, imprisonment and censoring of national culture.
Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state, with consolidated democratic institutions, deriving from the will of its citizens.
And it is precisely this will today which is expressed best in the promotion of this Joint Alphabet Book.
This Alphabet Book is an expression of the level of freedom and democracy, which has been created and is developing in the Albanian space in the twenty first century.
This Alphabet Book reflects the European spirit in the Albanian cultural spirit.
With no ideological impositions and no dogma and other non-institutional forms, this joint Alphabet Book is an expression of the consciousness and emancipation of our nation.
It is an Alphabet Book of freedom, and Alphabet Book of democracy, the Alphabet Book of a European Kosovo, an Alphabet Book of European Albania.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have every confidence in the professional work, and expertise of the working group and in the strong emancipatory and cultural spirit of the Joint Alphabet Book.
This Alphabet Book synthesizes the best teaching experience and program to shape most appropriately the psychological world of children in their first steps of learning and writing their native language.
Through this basic book, pupils will learn 36 golden letters of the Albanian language, which linked with each other, produce words and thoughts that are in the service of human values, of culture, science, technology and general knowledge.
It is a globally accepted fact that national cultural elites for centuries past are known for cultivating the values of humanity.
Today, I believe that this good tradition will continue, respecting cultural diversity, national and religious differences, and considering all these as a wealth of the environment in which we live.
I believe that this Joint Alphabet Book is a step toward the cultural integration of Albanians according to the model of advanced nations.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the work of the teams in Tirana and Prishtina, and the Ministries of Education of Albania and Kosovo, for their cooperation and coordination during the drafting of the Joint Alphabet Book.
Students, teachers and professors and parents have expressed their support, as now they have in their hands a book of sustainable value, which is read with the same love and passion in Gjirokastra as in Besiana, in Mitrovica as in Vlora, in Korça as in Shkodra, as well as in Skopje, Tetova, Prizren, Ulqin, Presheva and the Diaspora.
Respected guests
Today, this is an historic event, presenting together the Joint Albanian Alphabet Book. This was achieved as a result of our centuries long efforts, and solely because of the freedom and independence we won, and the powerful determination of the Albanian state and naturally, the united support of all Albanians.
Congratulations on the Joint Alphabet Book!
Last modified: July 31, 2022