On the double occasion of the 25th anniversary of OSCE Presence in Albania and the end of Tirana tenure of the OSCE Presence’s chair, Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco, a reception was held in Tirana, at the premises of MakAlbania hotel. Present at the event were the Speaker of Parliament Lindita Nikolla, Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka, ministers and MPs, top representatives of justice system, ambassadors, former presidents, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and the press.

In his farewell speech, Ambassador Del Monaco welcomed the distinguished guests, while delivering special thanks to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Xhacka, for all the support during the last two years.

“One of the many lessons I will take back to Rome is this Albanian commitment, both institutional and political, - regardless of party lines - to nurture peace and security. Be that in Hofburg, in the Glass Palace, or within the house walls, where security consolidates through the prism of the existing broad process of internal reforms,” said Del Monaco.

He emphasized that “Albania sees no difference between professing and practicing peace. I have attentively followed what you do at the regional level. It shows that Albania represents a multiplier of OSCE potential and, vice versa, the OSCE provides a magnifying glass to the Albanian peace and security policy. Both live together out of this fertile relationship and of a noble sequence that we may define as a journey that from Tirana unwinds through the OSCE, to ultimately reach the United Nations. If I may add a piece to this journey, the Isaiah Wall. That engraved wall standing in front of the United Nations in New York, which contains a biblical promise, both touching and imperishable: placing human beings at the centre of all that exists. Having humanity at heart, with human rights as resolute foundations of our actions, makes us be alive, not just living creatures”.

The relationship that unites the OSCE Presence and Albania does not only exist in the present. There is also a rich past. Twenty-five years of political partnership that today we want to celebrate, starting from the zenith of this relationship, the Albanian OSCE Chairmanship, going through the Polish and Swedish Chairs, all the way back to 1997, stated the Ambassador.

He also thanked the diplomatic corps, the Dean – Hungarian Ambassador Lorant Balla, for the respect and cordiality that always characterised their relationships. “I thank you for the partnerships we successfully wove and elaborated on ad hoc topics of priority nature for Albanian interest and that of OSCE contributing countries. I count on the collaboration you will bestow to my successor at the helm of the Presence,” said Del Monaco.

Outgoing diplomat extended special gratitude to “my extraordinary, knowledgeable and loyal team; to my irreplaceable right hand, Clarisse Pasztory. Without your dedication, dear staff members, today we would not be here”.

Xhacka highlights OSCE’s extraordinary role

In her intervention, MEFA Olta Xhacka stressed that the OSCE is undoubtedly an organization with which Albania has consolidated efficient and useful cooperation and partnership over the years, regardless of who has directed the Presence in Tirana.

“But during the 25 years of the OSCE's presence in Albania, there have been ambassadors from time to time who knew how to take this cooperation to another level. Ambassadors with whom cooperation has not been merely institutional, merely efficient and fruitful, but a pleasure to work with at the same time. This has been the case with Vincenzo, for whom I wish every success in his future career, but I wish it with regret in a way, as I would have loved to have him among us even longer to continue working on projects we have started together or the work to turn into projects as many ideas as we had the chance to discuss,” commented the minister.

According to her, for many Albanian citizens who belong to a younger generation, it is impossible to understand what an extraordinary role the OSCE has played in the development of Albania.

“Because from the perspective of an Albania that has opened negotiations with the EU, that is a member of NATO, that sits today in the Security Council, that enjoys the trust of democratic standards of the rule of law, that has managed to become a key factor in the region; the tumults, the difficulties, conflicts in the years before the Presence, are issues they have heard but hard to imagine. Well, for this progress, the OSCE really has a great merit for which we are all grateful.  It has a great merit in the field of consolidation of the rule of law, free and democratic elections, the consolidation of the state administration, the fight against organized crime, corruption and trafficking, good governance, freedom of expression and freedom of the press, gender equality and the inclusion of young people, regional cooperation and the development of a civil, strong and vibrant society” said Xhacka.

MEFA expressed her confidence that as OSCE enters the 26th year of its Albanian journey, the work and cooperation will continue as intensively and as constructively as in this quarter of a century. / ADN