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AMBASADA EMBASSY

E REPUBLIKS S SHQIPRIS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANI

Londr London__________________________________________________________________________________

SFIDAs Conference

Through the Eyes of Children

Hunslou, 3 April 2010

Address by the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania to the UK

H.E. Mr Zef Mazi

- It is indeed a pleasure to have been invited to addressSfidas Conference Through our Childrens Eyes,organized jointly with the Council here in Hunslou today.

The fact that it takes place during the Eastern days makesit even more significant. Let me thank the organizers forputting together such an interesting event and inviting meto deliver a key-note address. The topic chosen seems tobe multi-faceted. It makes it somewhat more difficult,therefore, to speak substantially and succinctly at thesame time, as I understand I am required to do. Let me tryto set the scene by placing my contribution in the contextof Albanias historical development. I believe this maybemore helpful in better understanding the present and itsneeds.

- When there is talk about closed countries of the formercommunist East, Albania is a typical example of a regime

which kept the country separated from the rest of theworld for half a century. It was sort of the North Korea ofEurope.

- The first half of the 20th century can be described as theperiod during which, after five hundred years of Ottomaninvasion and rule in Albania, it proclaimed independencefrom Ottoman Turkey in 1912 and reaffirmed its presenceand sovereignty in the Balkans. After the Balkan wars and

the capitulation of Ottoman Turkey, it joined the League ofNations. It carried out a democratic revolution in 1924 and

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then became a monarchy in 1928. The monarchy lastedtill exactlyl 71 years ago yesterday, on 7 April 1939, whenfascist Italy invaded the country and occupied it till 1943,to be replaced by Nazi Germany in 1943. In November

1944, the country was finally liberated from Nazi Germanybut fell under a terrible Stalinist regime.

- That system, based on political and economiccentralisation and nationalisation, turned Albania within40 years into the poorest country in Europe, totallyisolated and separated from all mainstream Europeandevelopments. (religion ban)

- Immediate post-war allies were Titos Yugoslavia, followedby Stalins Soviet Union and later Maos China. Relationswith the latter were severed in 1978, when Chinaembarked on its first liberal reforms in its economy. Afterthe death of Albanias dictator the communist systemsurvived another five years before the European eventsengulfed Albania, too.

- The students movements of 1990s, supported by part of

the intellectual elite, brought about the collapse of thecommunist regime and the birth of a system by means ofwhich Albania started dealing with the challenge ofcreating and building up its democratic future. Thischallenge (transition) proved to be longer and moredifficult than people initially thought.

- During the last 18 years since the fall of communism,Albania has changed dramatically. With its 3.7 millionpeople, and some 28 thousand sq km, Albania is today aparliamentary democracy based on the separation andbalance of legislative, executive and judicial powers.

- Numerous reforms have taken place, free elections havebeen held, a society has been built on the principles of therule of law, a functioning market economy has beenestablished, though not without difficulties of growth.

- In the long process a whole package of changes political,structural, economic, legal, legislative, social, etc., wewre

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introduced and implememted. In short, an entire oldSoviet-styled system was replaced with a new system ofparliamentary democracy, rule of law and marketeconomy.

- The change of the political and economic system, thedisintegration of the centralised socialist economy, etc.,were accompanied by a sharp fall in living standards. Lackof foodstuffs supplies and the measures to liberalise priceswas accompanied with an inflation increase of over 225 %in the early 90s. The gross national production fell by 40%compared to 1989. This is the period when the biggestwaves of immigration in the last 120 years took place. One

out of every six Albanians left the country.- Major radical reforms had to be taken forward.

Considerable support in that regard was provided byforeign aid and assistance as well as remittances. Theyear 1977 again brought about some difficulties. Peoplelost approximately USD 1.3 billion due to the collapse ofthe pyramid schemes that sparked a deep crisis andslowed down or halted a number of achievements.

- That Albanians would not forget, but appropriate lessonshave been drawn. Today we can be modestly proud that,in less than one generation, the country has managedvery major political, institutional, socio-economic andpsychological changes and reeforms and has overcome allkinds of hurdles inherited from a hermetically closed,isolated society, and back into the fold of mainstreamEuropean developments and family.

- Today Albania and the Albanians are trying hard to findtheir place in an ever more global world by preservingtheir identity while being very open to the outside worldand the international community. Whoever visits Albaniatoday would discover a place where the transition periodis still having its own costs, but where the energy thehuman dynamism, the vitality and aspiration fordevelopment are more present than anywhere else, Iwould say. 18 years of change and democraticexpeerience is only too short, but given the magnitude of

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change, where it started from, and where it is today,present day Albania can be considered a success story.

- It is frequently mentioned as one of the fastest growing

economies in transition and the highest in South EasternEurope since 1992. The World Banks Doing Business 2008Report places Albania second top reformer globally withregard to business environment reforms implementedover the past years. It further commented, Albaniasrecord since it embarked on its transition in the early1990s has been impressive. The country has successfullybuilt the foundations of market-based economy, createddemocratic institutions and gradually built capacity in the

public administration to cope with political and economictransformation. These efforts have resulted in a trackrecord of macroeconomic stability, as well as achievementof the fastest rates of GDP growth in South EasternEurope. The IMF has similar assessments to make.

- Achieving EU membership is Albanias next major politicalgoal for the near future. Albania has a Stabilisation andAssociation Agreement in force with the EU, has submitted

the application for candidate EU member and is warkinghard to get the avis to open accession negotiations.

- Building on the achievements and the road traversed sofar, a clear vision for the future and the richness of thecountry an excellent, dynamic, cultured youngergeneration, full of vitality, and a wonderful landscape ofphantastic natural beuties, Albania is becoming anattractive environment for tourists and businessmen,artists and intellectuals from all over the planet.

- Albania became a full member of NATO in 2009. All theabove adding up, in a highly improved, normal and secureenvironment which Albania offers, foreign investors willdefinitely be rewarded.

- It is against this backdrop of not a very friendly historyand past and great efforts to bring about radical changesin the last 18 years that one should see, accept, deal andwork with the Albanian emigration abroad to ensure they

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feel well and to help it get fully integrated in the societieswhere they have chosen to live.

- Let me be more specific on the requirements of the topic.

- The Albanian community in the UK has evolved andincreased significantly to date from only 100 who werehere right after WWII. The biggest influx of Albanianemigrants to UK was registered in the mid- and late 90s,after the collapse of the communist regime in Albania, inthe run-up to the war in Kosova, during the war and theyears immediately after it. The Albanians people, theAlbanian Government and nation, will be forever grateful

to the British authorities and people for what they havedone for them, for opening the doors and welcoming, indifficult years for the Albanians, a sizeable number ofthem.

- The Albanian community in the UK, according to not veryaccurate data, I should say, (who has accurate date by theway when data discs are lost?!) numbers over 100thousand. A considerable number of them have adapted

well into the British society and already have Britishcitizenship. Another portion has attained indefinite leaveto remain and/or are in the process of doing so. Andanother portion is either with short stay permits or nopermits at all, thus staying illegally.

- For the most part, the Albanian community is organised ina number of associations, 16 of which have come togetherto form a coordinating Forum of the Albanian societies inthe UK with the sole aim of mutually supporting theiractivities raise their effectiveness, enhancingcohesiveness and the sense of commoness as aconsolidated community full of fine values.

- They reach out to their members through regularmeetings, communications and cultural gatherings,various civic projects, childrens Saturday schools inAlbanian, etc. The most higly attended, organised eventsare the Albanian and Kosova Independence days,commemorated on the 28th of November and 17th

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- Secondly, status of the Albanians in the UK: It has beenwith a great sense of relief and, I would say, somesatisfaction that at the Albanian Embassy we areobserving a decreasing number of Albanians calling in for

consular services. This is a clear indicator that issuesrelating to their status are gradually being resolved. Thisis very good indeed. With a regular status, immigrantswould not hesitate to fornally look for jobs, to get engagedand become openly active in the British society. Anunclear status, no status or a limbo status with no futurein sight, no matter whether the individuals are Albaniansor else, would admittedly leave room for insecurity,uncertainty, sometime misconduct or unwillingly falling

into the rings of wrong-doers. All necessary steps need tobe taken to avoid this from happening.

- The quicker issues related to the status of the Albanianimmigrants are resolved, in general, the better for them,their families and the society that hosts them. They arehere, they are a reality and they ought to be dealt with bythe relevant authorities with generousity, effectively andefficiently, swiftly and with forward-looking vision.

- Thirdly, strengthening bonds of the family and the societythey live in: Albanian associations have these issues at thefocus of their attention. In general Albanians traditionallycherish their families, and do retain their family bonds,based more around a patriarchal structure, although in themodern era things seem to have changed also for theAlbanians. Life as emigrants may not provide all the luxuryof living with ones own family abroad. Whatever the caseis, it is highly desirable and needed, therefore, that in thatregard, programmes and projects are being carreid out, toensure that family bonds are strengthened, and the linksand interaction betweem and among them and the societythey live in are consolidated. They would by so doing getmore and more actively involved in communal life, insharing of experiences, in interacting and contributing tothe common good, with a good feeling, that they areaccepted not chased, with a sense of inclusiveness, ofbeing poart of the fabric of this society. I am awarre of

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positive results in this regard, and less and less worryingnews.

- Before moving to the forth and last issue, the above are ofcourse inter-connected. The bigger the progress in each of

them, and in their inter-relationships, the higher thepositive impact and advances of the Albanian communityin the UK towards their full integration, in an environmentthat has inclusion as a priority while assisting them toretain their cultural and linguistic identity.

- Forthly, the media, the perception that is created by themedia. There are plenty of examples in which the mediahas been overdoing its role and, regretably,

enthusiastically towads the Albanians. Everything thathappens and is considered to make news is grabbed by itand it rushes to conclusions: done by a group ofAlbanians. A host of examples can prove they have beenvery one-sided, biased and prejudiced, or totally wrong.And they never regret for disseminating uncorroboratednews or news proven completely wrong.

- Something needs to be done to rescue the reputation of

my Homeland from the clutches and misunderstandings ofthe populist press in the UK that, targeting them, portraysthe Albanians as the new gangsters engaged in humantrafficking and drug smuggling, as cheats and perhapsworse preying on the vulnerable, the young and the weak.

- This is unfair, unethical, incorrent and, of course, weobject to this view and seek to redress it, but we cannotdo it alone. A wider understanding and support of theBritish public opinion, your support and that of otherswould be required and would be most highly appreciated.

- One cannot identify a whole nation, a whole emigrantcommunity of over 100 thousand, with tiny isolatedgroups of ill-doers who deserve to be caught, are beingcaught and be taken to justice. The overwhelmingmajority of the Albanian community in the UK works andtoils hard, keep and raise their families through honestwork, take children to schools and invest in theirupbringing and education, pay taxes, are honest, smart

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and cultured citizens, who make a contribution to theBritish society. We are proud of them.

- Last not least, the support required to address the above:

any immigrant group or community, no matter how goodthey are and how perfect their programmes and projectsare done on paper, would not go too far with theirimplementation and integration programmes withoutproper financial support. Time has come, in my view, toperhaps consider less number of projects but much biggerin size and substance, hence, with bigger outcome andimpact.

- Let me, by way of concluding, express the gratitude of theAlbanian Government, the Albanian Embassy and that ofthe Albanian community in the UK for the gracioussupport, both moral, political and financial, that the Britishauthorities, the various Councils, have given to theAlbanian community associations in the UK. I am very gladto note also, and I consider it very important, that mycontacts with various council representatives and theircommunications clearly indicate that this support has

been used effectively, in the best of the abilities, and theimpact has indeed reached and been felt by the end-users.

- I am convinced that the Albanian emigrant community inthe UK are lucky to live and work in the midst of one of thegreatest nations and they have a bright future. In thiscountry, that has hosted and is home of 40 or moredifferent nationalities, immigrants are proud to considerthe UK their home sweet home away from their homesweet home. So do the Albanians.

- Thank you very much for your attention.