Friday, 22 November 2019
ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT XHAFERI ON THE OCCASION OF THE CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC CELEBRATION “DAYS OF THE ALPHABET”
Dear Director of the Institute of Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Albanians, Mr. Asani,
Dear Director of the Post of the Republic of North Macedonia, Mr. Rustemi,
Dear Ambassador Thimonier,
Dear representatives of domestic and foreign local authorities,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to express how pleased I am today, as we celebrate the 111th Anniversary of the Bitola Congress and the unification of the Albanian alphabet, to greet you as President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia and on behalf of my fellow Members of Parliament to seize this opportunity to congratulate you on the most important day in the history of Albanians’ political and cultural development, as the decisions of this congress represent one of the pillars that helped accelerate Albanian culture and education taking it to a higher level. In addition, the congress saw the further consolidation towards the development and progress of Albanians, clearly setting the orientation and direction to follow in the future. And this step, however modest it may seem to the ancient world civilizations, is nevertheless a contribution to the overall development of mankind.
On this occasion, I would like to congratulate the leadership of the Institute of Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of the Albanians, for their tireless work and the valuable contribution they have made to the enrichment of the cultural and historical heritage of the Albanians in this part of the Balkans, preserving, nurturing and promoting the values of the past and the values that will be created in the future in order to broaden the horizon of action. The scope and variety of activities that this institute has developed in collaboration with local institutes, organizations and academic institutions from the country and abroad are noteworthy, but above all, their scientific and academic work that is being carried out diligently. Of no less importance, on the occasion of this multi-day event is the respect paid to the former US President Woodrow Wilson, as this hall bears his name, for his pragmatic and diplomatic, but above all, visionary contribution. Yesterday, his bust was unveiled in front of the Cair Municipality building, and today a postage stamp with his face is being promoted, and this is a sign that prominent figures who have left traces in the history of human development, growth and survival have a special place and will never be forgotten.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me share with you the sense of pride I feel in establishing the "22 November" State Prize in recognition of the people of political, cultural and social life in the Republic of North Macedonia who have contributed to promoting interpersonal coexistence and mutual understanding between members of different communities, cultures and religions in the country, and that this year, this prize goes to the respected scientist, historian and humanist David Hosaflook and to the veterans of education, Kimete and Adnan Agai.
Dear friends,
Certainly, this intellectual rise of the Albanians rests on the foundations laid by the Albanian intellectuals and leaders of the revival - members of the Bashkimi Association, who gathered from all over the world in Bitola, at Kiryazi, whose will and vision and dedication have resulted in the most precious product of the life and bright future of a nation, that is, the unified alphabet that has become a means of written communication among all Albanians, but also a standardized language that has been translated and continues to be translated into all world languages. This prolongs the life span of a nation, its value and weight. Also, with the tireless work of the institutions we are all happier and I wish that your work always reaps greater and higher successes.
Happy 22 November and thank you for your attention!