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The President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, at the Diaspora Summit held today in Tirana, said that the people of Arbëresh are a priceless treasure.
President Begaj added that Arbëresh people proudly preserved the tradition and language of their ancestors, adding that building a new relationship with Arbëresh people should also focus on exchanges.
" Each element that reflects love for the homeland is impressive and unique. The story of Arbëresh is a success story. The people of Arbëresh proudly preserved the tradition and language of their ancestors. We have a very important personality of our Renaissance, in the world it is rare to meet such a unique community as the Arber community. Many nations have preserved documents, but we have a living community. The Arbëresh people have kept alive an essential part of Albanianness without asking for anything in return ", said Begaj.
During his speech, the President emphasized the need to open a new chapter of cooperation between Albania and the Arbëresh people of Italy. Begaj congratulated the initiatives of the inclusion of the Arberian language in schools, in Rai Calabria's programs and the initiative of the Albanian Public Radio-Television to open a television channel for the Diaspora, where the Arberian language and culture will certainly be promoted.
" Our action must be immediate and a historical responsibility, because the consequences will also affect future generations. Of course, a structured relationship should include all actors in Albania and Italy, such as: academic institutions, civil society, local and central government bodies and actors of Arbëre's daily cultural life, because the challenges are such that they require cooperation and coordination ," he said.
President Begaj congratulated professors Francesco Altimari and Matteo Mandala for their dedication in drafting the "Great Weather" file, submitted for application to UNESCO.
" Obviously, in the framework of cooperation, economic cooperation should not be neglected, which can be expanded in areas such as: tourism, culture, agriculture, food industry or in other areas of mutual interest," he said .
As part of the new cooperation, the President also proposed the opening of a museum for the Arbëreshes in Albania.
" We Albanians need not to forget. The past, especially when it survives history and reaches the present, must be learned. The example of Arbëresh should be an incentive to do more for Albania today, not to stroke our conscience by being proud of the achievements of previous generations. They made their own. Now it's our turn ," he said.
During the speech, President Begaj shared with the audience the impressions of his official visit of several days in Calabria, where he mentioned the virtues of the community, such as: hospitality, patriotism and the preservation of tradition, which are reflected in all the Arbëre traditions.
Begaj invited the Albanians to visit the Arbëreshes during their travels in Italy and proposed that the Albanian schools include in their curriculum visits to the Arbëresh settlements in order to familiarize and educate the new generation with the heritage and create personal connections with the Arbëresh.
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