A whole year ago we were together in the center of Lezha to celebrate the birthday of our national poet. That day we made a promise, that of restoring the house, where Gjergj Fishta, a child, lived for a while.

Since that promise, our country has gone through tremendous trials. First the earthquake, whose wounds we are trying to close, and then a pandemic that has brought the entire globe to its knees.

But we did not stop and today we are together in front of Fishta’s restored house, with a promise kept.

It was impossible not to ‘break’ before the insistence of the residents of Fishta, who persistently demanded the restoration of this house, which for them has a great meaning, since they and the poet are in an inseparable symbiosis, and today it is difficult to distinguish whether the village gave its name to the poet or the poet to the village.

But this promise does not make us arrogant, but increases our responsibilities to continue in the realization of our project,for the reconstruction of the Fishtian Route, this line marked by the life stations of Fishta , to this great man, who melted the candle of his existence for Religion and Fatherland.

Gjergj Fishta swore to God as much as to the homeland; fought for the unification of Albanians, beyond religious and provincial divisions.

It was Fishta who said that:

“In case they don’t want us in a single state, as the Albanians say they are Muslims, then… we Christians will melt our crosses and “We shoot and protect our Albanian Muslim brothers!”

Before such a call, we his countrymen of the 21st century, who found independence and freedom paved, would have to hide in shame, when we see empty words more than work.

I share with you today, we are here not only as keepers of a promise, but to further his legacy of uniting and enlightening the Albanian mind because: Now that Albania should be with the Albanians!

The Ministry of Culture, with the full support of the Albanian Government will continue with its project of restoration and commemoration of the Fishtian traces through memorials, in churches, monasteries, ruins of houses, libraries, where he served God’s flock and wrote his works, sometimes with loving language and sometimes harsh, sometimes with anger and sometimes with kindness, for the awakening of Albanians from that long sleep of submission that left behind other European countries.

And today we must catch up the lost time, returning to the wisdom of the great men of the nation, such as Fishta, Konica, Frashërliljë, who continue to be shining torches on our European path, as they were the ones who, with their visionary gaze, showed us that for us Albanians, the sun rises in the west!

The restoration of this house is only one step and we hope that it will serve not only as a tribute to Fishta’s name, but also as a pilgrimage station for all those who want to follow the footsteps of the poet , but also one more reason to come to Fishtë, to this beautiful and generous village