Pristina, November 27, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, attended the reception organized by the Embassy of Albania in Kosovo on the eve of celebrating November 28, Albania’s Independence Day.
In his address, the Prime Minister stated, “It is not uncommon for us to gather on this date, here at the event of the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Prishtina, to commemorate our greatest event, that of the establishment of the Albanian nation’s subjectivity. And yet, this gathering always carries the same emotion.”
He mentioned two key moments for reflection and impression. Firstly, he noted that today it is very easy for us to be together, whereas not more than three decades ago, such a gathering would have been unimaginable, and this was the case for a total of three decades prior. “It was a time of great sacrifices and suffering for Albanians on both sides of the border,” he said.
Secondly, he referred to the Act of Independence signed by the patriots on 28 November 1912, which proved to be not just an act but a program that would extend for more than a century. “A program was signed that, to be conceived and realized, required the help of another project, that of Sami Frasheri in What Albania Was, What It Is, and What It Will Become. A project that preceded it and continues to follow it with its current dimension,” he added.
In concluding his speech, the Prime Minister invited everyone to celebrate and commemorate this date with the understanding that Ismail Bej Vlora and the patriots looking at us towards our future and expect us to fulfill as correctly, as well, and as successfully as possible the path they set for us by raising the flag in Vlore.
“Our Renaissance leaders are in our past, looking at us from our future. In their past, we had Skenderbeu, and in our future, we have Adem Jashari. It is precisely our shared existence in the present that makes them our shared past and, simultaneously, the future that awaits us united,” he concluded.
Accompanying his congratulations for Albania’s Independence Day, Prime Minister Kurti also extended his congratulations for Albania’s 15th anniversary of NATO membership and the opening of negotiations on its unstoppable path toward European Union integration.
Prime Minister Kurti’s full speech:
Honorable Speaker of the Parliament, Glauk Konjufca,
Your Excellency, Ambassador of the Republic of Albania in Kosovo, Petrit Malaj, and esteemed Mrs. Neta Malaj,
Your Excellency, former President of the Republic of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu,
Honorable Deputy Prime Ministers Besnik Bislimi and Donika Gervalla,
Esteemed Ms. Megi Fino, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania,
Honorable Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Members of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, leaders, representatives, and officials of state institutions,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors of friendly countries accredited in Kosovo,
Distinguished academic, Professor Rexhep Qosja,
Ladies and gentleman,
Sisters and brothers,
It is not uncommon for us to gather on this date, here at the event of the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Prishtina, to commemorate our greatest event, that of the establishment of the Albanian nation’s subjectivity. And yet, this gathering always carries the same emotion.
On this occasion, allow me to speak among you and with you about two moments that I believe hold special significance in the way we envision our shared efforts. There are two moments that you may accept as reflections or impressions.
Firstly, I believe it is very easy for us to be together today. It feels so natural that we consider it a given. It seems as though being together on our most cherished days has always been easy throughout the times we’ve left behind. But this gathering, less than three decades ago, would have been unimaginable, and this was the case for three times as many decades in total. Even mere imagination came with risk and suffering.
It was a time of great sacrifices and suffering for Albanians on both sides of the border. We Albanians were not free and were condemned to isolation of every kind. Our most terrible isolation was our division. For now, we can say we have achieved considerable results, even though we are aware of the great sacrifices and the extent of tragedies. We have managed to cover a large portion of the Albanian people with states that speak Albanian. Now, we can say that a significant number of Albanians in these lands enjoy a degree of freedom and a dimension of democracy. For this, we should celebrate today by reflecting on 28 November of Ismail Bej Vlora and all the luminous figures who signed the Act of Independence.
Secondly, today, caught up in our daily lives and in the clamor of events coming from every corner of the globe – a level of complexity unprecedented in modern world history – I have the impression that we do not sufficiently value another fact. The Act of Independence signed by the patriots on 28 November 1912, which proved to be not just an act but a program that would extend for more than a century. A program was signed that, to be conceived and realized, required the help of another project, that of Sami Frasheri in What Albania Was, What It Is, and What It Will Become. A project that preceded it and continues to follow it with its current dimension.
In this sense, and based on this sentiment, I invite you to celebrate this date with all its historical, programmatic, and future-oriented significance. I invite you to celebrate and commemorate this date with the understanding that Ismail Bej Vlora and the patriots look at us from the future and expect us to fulfill as correctly, as well, and as successfully as possible the path they set for us by raising the flag in Vlore.
Our Renaissance leaders are in our past, looking at us towards our future. In their past, we had Skenderbeu, and in our future, we have Adem Jashari. It is precisely our shared existence in the present that makes them our shared past and, simultaneously, the future that awaits us united.
Honorable Ambassador, I strongly believe in the dynamic cooperation between our two governments and in the shared program for the expansion of democracy and development across all fields.
Congratulations on this significant day marking the establishment of Independence, the day of Albania’s liberation, and additionally, the 15th anniversary of Albania’s NATO membership and the opening of negotiations on its unstoppable path toward European Union integration.
Thank you!
Last modified: December 3, 2024