Pristina, 15 September 2014
Deputy Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo, Edita Tahiri, had a visit to the Arbëresh of Italy where in Calabria, in the city of Frasnita took part in cultural activities of the Arbëresh, on the invitation of the Arbëresh Eparchy of Calabria and Pan Albanian Library “Antonio Belushi”.
Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri participated in the preparatory Conference for marking of 100th anniversary of the Eparchy of the Council of Ungra and on this occasion was marked 80th anniversary of birth of notable Arbëresh activist, Antonio Belushi, which was held in Frasnite of Calabria.
The conference, in which senior Arbëresh political and religious authorities of Calabria and Albania participated, Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri gave a speech where, on behalf of the Government of Kosovo, highly appreciated Arbëresh people for their constant commitment to preserve and cultivate national Albanian identity. She said that the Arbëresh of Italy are the strongest of the Albanian nation because even though after five centuries living outside Albanian lands you preserved Albanian blood and language. You were forced to leave Albanian land but never abandoned Albanianism. We, Albanians, always considered you as source of inspiration and strength in our war for freedom and independence of Kosovo, which we gained successfully after a century of slavery. Now there are two Albanian states, Albania and Kosovo and now we have much more opportunities to strengthen spiritual and national relations with our Arbëresh brothers and sisters, said Ms Tahiri.
Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri expressed her cordial wishes for the eightieth anniversary of the nationalist Antonio Belushi thus considering him a national, spiritual, religious and academic leader who was committed to national cause and especially worked for the Arbëresh of Italy and the Arvanitas of Greece.
During this conference Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri had a discussion with the Archbishop of Arbëresh Byzantine Church, Archbishop Donato Oliverio, where she highlighted the role of the church in preserving and cultivating the national arbëresh identity and also participated in the Liturgy that was held in Arbresh Church in Frasnite.
Also, Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri visited International Arbëresh Library of Mr Antonio Belushi in Frasnite where, by Mr Antonio Belushi, was introduced to all literary and scientific wealth of this pan Albanian library. Mr Belushi, to honour the visit of Ms Tahiri, gave her his latest book dedicated to Arbëresh, titled “Invisible nation”.
During this visit, Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri, together with the Secretary General of MALG, Mr Besnik Osmani and the delegation of Kosovo were received in a meeting by the mayor of Frasnita municipality, Mr Angelo Catapano. The delegation also visited municipality of Çift where in the arbëresh ethnographic museum, together with the mayor Mr Alessandro Tocci participated in the cultural symposium dedicated to traditional Arbëresh-Albanian clothing.
During this stay, Secretary General of MALG, Mr Besnik Osmani held separate meetings with mayors of municipalities of Frasnite and Çift, where they discussed on setting relations between these municipalities and those from Kosovo and also agreed that in a near future these two municipalities be twinned with two municipalities of Kosovo.
During the visit in Calabria, Deputy Prime Minister was accompanied by political advisors Elona Cecelia and Gazmir Raci, chief of protocol Imer Reçica and Secretary General of Ministry of Administration and Local Governance, Besnik Osmani.
Last modified: July 31, 2022