President of France, Emmanuel Macron, is in Tirana on his first official visit.
On Monday evening, a welcoming was organized in his honor at the Brigade Palace by Prime Minister Edi Rama.
In his speech, Macron described the centuries-old friendship between two countries, while he also mentioned the terrorist attack in France and Belgium, which, as he said, have shocked Europe.
“I stand here before you while France was affected by a terrorist attack last week, from which affected a French professor. Barbarians struck again, attacking those who learn this language, which for centuries has been spreading values, enlightenment, hope. I am here in front of you where a few minutes ago, Brussels was hit by a terrorist attack that took the lives of two Europeans. Our Europe is shocked. This shows the evidence of what you are, Europeans, with heart, with culture for the future. The first bilateral visit of a French president to Albania, it is a great happiness to respond to your invitation dear Edi. The friendship between our two peoples is centuries old, which you also mentioned”, Macron said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rama thanked Macron for his visit to Tirana saying that “Albania welcomes France with pride, hope and pleasure”
Prime Minister Rama’s full speech:
“In its long history, Albania has seen innumerable crowds of well-known and less well-known French pass through its territory and mingle with its people. In distant and less happy times were the Normads, in earlier and less happy times the tourists, from whose rule over our landscapes and our culture, our shores, has only just begun. More than 80 thousand tourists, this year. Which motivates us to continue the joint effort to bring our two countries closer by making exchanges.
We also have an even stronger connection through direct flights between France and Albania. Maybe Albania has had French people interested in getting to know it, but it has never welcomed France until this day. Of course, a presence like that of France cannot be finalized only with official visits. It takes on its full meaning only when the head of state who embodies it outside and gives the impulse leaves his mark at the same time.
It is enough to see the agenda of this visit to understand our relations in fields such as the economy, the field of visual arts, cinema or contemporary art. Welcoming you today Mr. President, Albania welcomes France with pride, hope and pleasure. This is a deep feeling that has its roots in history”, said Rama.
