As time goes by, 2 long years have already passed since the Russian aggression in the sovereign Ukraine. I have had the chance to address a similar speech to this honorable audience, one year ago, and at the time I would have never thought I would stand here in front of you today, again, said the Ambassador of the Republic of Albania, Fatos Reka at the conference “Ukraine – Two years of heroism”, organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in cooperation with CIVIL.

“Besides the EU countries, the USA and more generally the NATO members, our region has been also strongly committed to stand by Ukraine and its people.

The Prime Minister of Albania, Mr. Edi Rama, has confirmed in many occasions, Albania’s political assistance and defense cooperation in support of Ukraine.

This commitment has translated into concrete actions that include, inter alia, the will – announced during Mr. Rama’s visit to Ukraine in June 2022 – to lead the reconstruction of a neighborhood called “The Balkan Quartier” in Kiev, together with the former prime ministers of North Macedonia and Montenegro, respectively DimitarKovacevski and DritanAbazovic.

Recently, Mr. Rama has joined forces with the President of Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky, in co-organizing the “Ukraine and Southeast Europe” Summit, which will take place in Tirana, this upcoming February 28th and will see the participation of leaders from the Western Balkans, as well as from other European countries. The Summit will be an important occasion to reaffirm solidarity with Ukraine and strongly condemn the aggression, renew the support for the membership of Ukraine in the European Union and the NATO, and the commitment to participate in the post-war recovery and reconstruction of the country.

While politics and diplomacy need to persevere in ending up the conflict for good, as soon as possible, small every day actions can make a difference, too. Talk to your friend, to your neighbor, to your cousin; help someone not forget the numbers of innocent victims, of the injured, the displaced; buy from online businesses in Ukraine; sustain a hospital or an orphanage; create engagement on the topic, on the social media. It is vital for the people of Ukraine to understand and feel that they are not alone, that we stand with them.

SllavaUkraina

Thank you for your attention!”