Welcome speech by Nikolla Gjurgjaj, President of the Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana, at the 29th Seminar of Slavic Minorities in Europe
Good evening! Добровечер!
Welcome to Tirana, Republic of Albania!
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,
Dear participants,
Today we have the honor and special pleasure to open the 29th AGSM (Working Group on Slavic Minorities) seminar, which is being held here in Tirana, organized by FUEN, and in close cooperation with the Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana.
Exactly 11 years ago, the Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana made history, becoming the first association from the Republic of Albania to become an equal member of FUEN. Therefore, this is a truly important and great day for the Republic of Albania, for the Macedonian national minority, but also for the “Ilinden” Association itself.
For the first time, representatives of 20 organizations have gathered in Tirana, with a total of 40 delegates coming from 11 different countries: Albania, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Italy and Slovakia. Your presence here is proof that bridges of cooperation know no borders.
The Macedonian national minority in the Republic of Albania is one of the oldest minorities in this region. It is an indigenous population that has existed for centuries and lives in about 50 villages along the Albanian-Macedonian border, in the areas of Golo Brdo, Prespa, Gora, in the village of Vrnik, the Pola area, as well as in larger urban centers such as Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Pogradec, Korça and Kukës. Macedonians in Albania have always been peace-loving, loyal citizens, people who actively and with high integrity have contributed and are contributing to all spheres of Albanian society.
This seminar is a strong reminder that diversity is our greatest asset. In a rapidly changing world, our voice, our culture and our identity depend precisely on such platforms where we learn from each other, support each other and take joint steps towards European values of mutual respect. The exchange of experiences at this 29th seminar will certainly give us new energy and new ideas for future projects.
I am sincerely happy that we have gathered today in such large numbers at this important event. My wish is that such meetings will become even more frequent in the future, because only through mutual commitment and strong cooperation will we manage to preserve from oblivion the precious values, tradition, language and cultural heritage of the Macedonians in the Republic of Albania.
At the same time, on behalf of the Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana, I express my sincere and deep gratitude to FUEN and AGSM for their continuous and selfless support over the years.
I wish you successful work at the seminar, a pleasant stay in beautiful Tirana and unforgettable friendship!
Thank you for your attention!