Prishtina, 20 November 2025
The acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Liza Gashi, welcomed today in a meeting the Mayor of Hora e Arbëreshëve (Piana degli Albanesi), Rosario Petta.
Welcoming him to Pristina, Prime Minister Kurti expressed the interest of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo in expanding cooperation with the Arbëresh community, especially in the preservation, promotion and development of the Arbëresh cultural heritage, as an important part of our common history.
The meeting emphasized the importance of increasing cultural and academic exchanges, appreciating the positive steps taken in recent years. They also discussed the possibility of cooperation through a film festival, with the aim of presenting Kosovo in Calabria and Sicily through artistic and cultural activities.
One of the important topics was the inclusion of the Arbëresh community in the summer program “Taste Kosovo”, with the aim of strengthening cultural ties and better understanding of Kosovo by Arbëresh youth and families. The need to foster new connections between higher education institutions in Kosovo and universities in the region was also emphasized, with a focus on joint research projects, academic exchanges and student mobility. He also expressed his willingness to support the promotion and teaching of the Arbëresh language, as a bridge and as part of the common national and cultural identity.
Both agreed that within the framework of this cooperation, a statue of the Legendary Commander, Adem Jashari, be built in the Hora e Arbëreshëve Municipality.
