These last months have been full of emotions. That’s how the top French envoy to Albania, Ambassador Catherine Suard would sum up the recent developments in our country regarding the French-Albanian relations, with great activities and sad news coming together.

Of course, the saddest of them all was the passing away of the great Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, who was also a French citizen. “For the record, a few days earlier he had asked me to cast his ballot for our early parliamentary elections,” Madam Ambassador unveils for Albanian Daily News.

But the emotions do not stop here. France underwent a pair of very important elections, while the country is preparing to welcome the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.   

Speaking on a personal level, she notes that “I was proud of the mobilization of the French people between the two rounds of the legislative elections. They beat the odds and put a stop to the far right whose political foundations, whatever the appearances, are in a profound contradiction with the values of the French Republic”.

With regards to economic cooperation and investments, the Ambassador says that she’s particularly pleased to see that “Albania is attracting increasing interest from our entrepreneurs and that it has been identified as a country with high potential in certain sectors of activity. By way of example, I would like to mention Voltalia, which has developed and is successfully operating the major photovoltaic park at Karavasta, and for which Albania is the only European location”.

On the other hand, asked about the efforts to reopen the French Lyceum of Korca, Ambassador Suard says France has decided to appoint a French expert to conduct a pre-figuration mission for the potential opening, who will arrive in September and will work closely with the local authorities and the Ministry of Education.

But naturally, today the country is focused on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This is a planetary event that France is proud to host and that it is striving to make unique: opening ceremony on the Seine, ephemeral installations in the heart of the city, involvement of our territories on the mainland and overseas, gender parity, inclusivity, eco-responsibility, safety. Everything is in place to welcome the world!,” says the Ambassador of France to Albania, Catherine Suard. 

Albanian Daily News: Madame Ambassador, firstly please allow the Albanian Daily News to extend to you the best wishes on the National Day of France. Recently you hosted a beautiful event in Tirana, to celebrate with Albanian friends both the National Day and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Could you share with us your thoughts on this great event and its challenges?

Catherine Suard: I think that everyone attending this event had the feeling of sharing an exceptional moment, I would even say a privileged one. At least, that's what many of them told us. I have to say that this particularly positive and warm feedback goes straight to our hearts, because the challenge we had to take up was a major one, not only because of the attendance, which was much higher than usual, but also because of the unprecedented format, which combined the Bastille Day celebration with the presentation of the flag to the Albanian athlete’s delegation leaving for the Paris Olympic Games. 

Of course, the proximity of these two events led us to envisage a joint celebration, but this rather amazing idea could never have materialized without the support of the main partners involved in this magnificent project: the Albanian National Olympic Committee and the Tirana Municipality.

The main challenge in this type of undertaking is be at the level of expectations. This creates even greater obligations for us and requires us to pay even greater attention to the smallest details, especially when major sponsors are placing their trust in you and when the attention of the media and the authorities is focused on you. Failure is not an option in this case, and it seems to me that we all have many reasons to be proud of the way this event went, of the messages that were delivered, of the pride of the French and Albanian public in having witnessed an important moment for our two countries.

- The close cultural ties between France and Albania are not a secret. The recent French Culture Week made quite an impression; France was the second homeland of our great writer, the late Ismail Kadare; so many other moments, artists and elements connect us. But a specific detail you brought up during a Tv interview was really interesting: The efforts to reopen the French Lyceum of Korca. Could you elaborate a little bit more on this project?

-The last few months have indeed been full of emotions, from the great success of the French Cultural Week in May to the death of Ismail Kadaré on the 1st of July, who was also a French citizen. For the record, a few days earlier he had asked me to cast his ballot for our early parliamentary elections. 

The potential reopening of the “Lycée Français de Korça” is a matter close to my heart. I would remind you that this was a request made by Prime Minister Edi Rama to the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, during his historic visit to Albania last October - historic in that it was the first by a French President since the country's independence.

During my first visit to Korça, I was struck by the extent of the Francophile spirit that is still alive in the town. This Francophilia, and more generally the Francophonie in Albania, derive directly from this episode, the origin of which was circumstantial (the occupation of south-east Albania by the French army between 1916 and 1920). However, the establishment of an exceptional Lycée, which has trained the majority of Albania's elite, would not have been possible without the shared desire of France and Albania to work and cooperate together after the 1st World War. 

But beyond the Lycée, its pupils and its teachers, I would also like to mention the major modernization work that was carried out at that time to make Albania the Republic we know today. This approach, this impetus, is also embodied in the exemplary relationship that is taking shape now days between the towns of Korça and Chambéry, since the signing of a decentralized cooperation agreement last February. Significantly, the mayor of Chambéry and former minister, Thierry Repentin, was present at the Bastille Day when he came to meet his Albanian counterparts.

To answer your question more precisely, we have decided to appoint a French expert to conduct a pre-figuration mission for the potential opening of a new French Lycée in Korça. He will arrive in September and will work closely with the local authorities and the Ministry of Education.

- The historic visit of President Macron to Tirana and PM Rama’s return visit in Paris highlighted once more the optimal political relations. How would you assess the level of cooperation in economy, trade and investments, Madam Ambassador? Which would be the fields that have untapped potential?

-It's true that our bilateral political relationship has reached an unprecedented level of excellence in recent months, boosted by the cross-visits of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to Tirana in October 2023, and that of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania, Edi Rama, to Paris last April. 

This dynamic is embodied in our KubFranceTirana, the new French Institute of Albania, entirely digital, opened last May at the top of the Tirana Pyramid. But this desire to strengthen our ties is also intended to be reflected in the economic sphere; in particular, this is the aim of the Intergovernmental Agreement signed on 12 April to contribute to the implementation of priority projects in Albania, in water management, innovation, tourism and agriculture. 

Fortunately, in all these areas, we already have been able to rely on the involvement, for the past five years, of a leading operator, the Agence Française de Développement, which is particularly active in the fields of energy transition, natural resource management, circular economy and development of sustainable tourism.

More generally, I'm particularly pleased to see that Albania is attracting increasing interest from our entrepreneurs and that it has been identified as a country with high potential in certain sectors of activity. By way of example, I would like to mention Voltalia, which has developed and is

successfully operating the major photovoltaic park at Karavasta, and for which Albania is the only European location, even though it has a strong presence in South America and Africa. 

I would also like to emphasize that the economic development of Albania, to which we are contributing, is part of a wider framework of support for the country on the path to transformation and convergence, whether this involves promoting its gradual integration into the European Union, supporting the revitalization of public administration, the fight against corruption, capacity-building for local authorities, dialogue with civil society or the training of magistrates.

France's re-investment in Albania has a purpose, one that was affirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron during his historic visit, and reiterated many times: Albania's integration into the EU as quickly as possible.

- The Olympic Games and a delicate political situation internally, make for quite a challenging combination for France. Its elections were followed closely internationally. I am aware that diplomats should not make political comments, but what messages do you think, France sent the world with this process? 

-It is not for me to comment on French politics, just as I don’t comment on politics in Albania. That said, on a personal level, I was proud of the mobilization of the French people between the two rounds of the legislative elections. They beat the odds and put a stop to the far right whose political foundations, whatever the appearances, are in a profound contradiction with the values of the French Republic. Furthermore, I rejoice that France will honor its European and international commitments. Populism and extremism are not inevitable, even if certain external influences strive to make us think so. It is up to us to equip ourselves with the technological and intellectual means to deal with them effectively, while working to improve the well-being of our peoples. 

Today we're all focused on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This is a planetary event that France is proud to host and that it is striving to make unique: opening ceremony on the Seine, ephemeral installations in the heart of the city, involvement of our territories on the mainland and overseas, gender parity, inclusivity, eco-responsibility, safety. Everything is in place to welcome the world!

- Madame Ambassador, during you first year of stay in Albania, how would you sum up your impressions about our country? And of course, which would be your advice – or suggestions – to us?

-In 1 year, I can't claim to know Albania in deep, but it's rich in diversity, which I'm looking forward to discovering in the months and years to come.

What stands out for me in Albania is a unique and profound sense of hospitality, a vibrant Mediterranean culture, and a true European spirit.

My humble suggestion, since you are asking for, would be to build on these strengths and look ahead. You can count on us to be there for you!