Speech of the President of Albania, Prof. Dr. Bamir Topi
 “Honorable Mr. Deputy Minister, honorable representatives of the diplomatic corps, honorable representatives of Roma community,
It is a special pleasure for me to be present today in this important activity, the opening of the exhibition area of Roma culture in the Albanian National Museum, enabling the identification and the promotion of values of Roma culture, of this community which has certainly become part of the tradition of the Albanian culture, not only as a linguistic community but also as a community which has been part of the history of the last century of Albanian people.
Presently, Albania is a modern country which has started to be integrated after the 1990s when in Albania it was established the democratic system and a significant achievement was that in 1995, Albania became member of the Council of Europe, also assuming its obligations toward the minorities. In 1996, the Albanian Parliament ratified the European Convention of Human Rights and in 1999 it approved the Framework Convention on Minority Rights.
Hence, this is not only a tradition of the Albanian people when all of us certainly agree that tolerance has prevailed, not merely among different religions but also between the majority of the Albanian people and the minorities.
On the other hand, Albania has assumed institutional and political obligations to precisely promote the integration of the minorities and of Roma community in the culture and history of the Albanian people.
I wish to evaluate this initiative because as part of the National Museum, the Exhibition Area on Roma culture shall mean that an integral part of the interests of this nation, an integral part of the history of this nation and certainly the entire policy of the Albanian state, the governmental policies, the policies stemming from a wide consensus between the parties in the parliament are interested that the Roma community not only exposes the values of its own tradition which is certainly a rich tradition but alto become an integral part of the entire representation at all levels. We have continuously admitted it when we have been dealing with active policies in the electoral campaign.
Everyone admits that you must be part of such integration because it is of special importance.
I admit it today as a President of the Republic not simply with the encouragement that you must be more educated, more qualified, but also to participate in the entire political and institutional life of Albania.
Today, the establishment of this exhibition area is only one of the elements of such promotion I just mentioned. I wish you preserve the identity! I wish you build bridges of cooperation and understanding with the entire majority of the Albanian people!
Be part of this culture! Renew your culture! Change not only the costumes but also your history within this identity.
I am confident that the politics of the Albanian state, the politics of the Albanian institutions shall take due care to promote you, to support you either at economic level, as you shall need to overcome your current economic situation but on the other hand it shall promote you in terms of such traditional lines you are already distinguished: crafts, cultural values, folklore, your beautiful music but also the civic values you have expressed as you have always been under a challenging socio-economic situation to be overcome.
Not accidentally, I highly evaluate the participation of the representatives of the diplomatic corps who are quite sensitive in terms of the preservation of the values of the identity of the minorities where certainly the Roma community is part thereof.
I thank you for your utter understanding and cooperation we have continuously established. I assure you that the Institution of the President shall certainly provide direct support to you for the promotion of your values, the enhancement of such values which are continuously subject to evaluation and to always grow in the challenges Albania shall face!”
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