The speech of Minister Elva Margariti at the opening ceremony of the International Culture Week 2022

April 26, 2022

Hello Tirana!

We are again in this square, which brings together friends from all over the globe, but this time to celebrate in a colorful parade of flags, sounds and culture, the beauty of Albania: HOSPITALITY!

Today Albania welcomes the world!

In the course of centuries we have shown that: The home of the Albanian belongs to God and his friend!

And it is a beautiful coincidence, that in this holy month, filled with celebrations and worship for God, we welcome so many friends!

In this festive atmosphere, we open the way for the International Weeks of Culture, one of the most beautiful initiatives of the Albanian Government, which starts today and will be repeated every year for shown the most beautiful of every nation.

A little while ago, the boys of the group “Thunderëay” lit up the stage, and with their story, they took us back to the time when Albania broke the 50-year isolation, while today the world comes to us .

Unlike our generation and that of our parents, whose only window on the world was the book or the banned TV channels, young people today have the world in their hands through technology, they can connect with their peers virtually on every corner of the globe.

But for us Albanians, no friendship would have meaning without a handshake, without that close communication and hospitality, which we have inherited for generations.

Our grandparents inherited it with the Jews saved during World War II and we will also inherit it with the Afghans, who left their land to escape persecution; or with the Ukrainians, who we welcome with open hearts if they knock on our door.

Because generosity is the greatest wealth of Albanians.

In these turbulent times we are living,Albania gives a strong message, that of brotherhood, of cooperation, of exchanging what we have best, our spiritual dimension of strongly attached to culture; that of being together in difficult times.

We are here, we are today and we celebrate life as the most beautiful gift we have been given; and we celebrate together; we celebrate with our good friends, starting with France, the first to open this journey, to follow in order: Italy, Israel, Greece, Spain, the United States of America, Japan, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Sweden… and which will culminate with Kosovo, with our better half, on Flag Day!

Festivals, music, ballet, cinema, architecture, sports, diplomacy, trade exchanges, taste…., will bring the world here, to us, turning the whole year into a party, where children and the elderly are invited, because everyone will find themselves: the little ones will know the world, and our parents will perhaps touch the unrealized dreams of resume.

It took a lot of work and collaborators to get here.

A special thanks to the Municipality of Tirana, this energetic team with which we are advancing many projects, dedicated in particular to young people, since this year when Tirana was declared the European Capital of Youth, is showing the world its European dimension!

Dear friends,

All together, like the whole globe, we have faced unusual situations: earthquakes, pandemics, war anxiety…, but right in the middle of this world crisis, the Albanian government invests as never before for culture, with the full conviction that without culture there is no future!

As never before we have so many reconstruction sites, projects, collaborations and so many national and international initiatives, which are not facades or 3D projects, but sustainable investments for the future of to our children, on our safe way to the European family.

Such is the initiative of the International Cultural Weeks, which starts today and is distributed in concentric circles throughout Albania not only in culture, but also in education, tourism and economic development.

But today is not the day of words, but of celebration, so I would not like to speak longer, but give way to the creator of this major initiative that we felt we lacked and today we are giving life to the Prime Minister, Edi Rama!