The event focused on 25 years of Swiss Presence and Development Cooperation in Albania and praised Swiss-Albanian relations. Swiss Ambassador Graf emphasized the strong ties between Switzerland and Albania and Albania’s progress during these years. “Albania is engaged in a dynamic reform agenda and committed to move forward. That is one reason and a good reason that Switzerland continues to support Albania on its path towards European integration”, Swiss Ambassador Graf promised.
Two former Swiss diplomats, Christian Schmed, Deputy Head of Mission from 1992 to 1997 and Francis Cousin, Swiss Ambassador from 2000-2002 shared with the audience their memories and experiences confirming Albania’s fast progress.
The event continued with panel discussion on achievements and challenges of the Swiss development cooperation in the last 25 years. The panel included the outgoing Minister of Urban Development, Eglantina Gjermeni, Mayor of Shkodra Voltana Ademi, and the UN Resident Coordinator Brian Williams.
The evening ended with a reception for the diplomatic corps to celebrate the bilateral relations between the two countries. Assistant State Secretary of the Swiss Federal Department for Foreign Affairs Nicolas Brühl spoke about the friendly relationship between the two countries. “Today,around 250,000 people living in Switzerland have ties to the Albanian language area. These human ties have paved the way for our bilateral relations to develop”, stated Nicolas Brühl.
Switzerland is the third biggest bilateral donor in Albania. Swiss government started to support Albania in the early 1990s by providing humanitarian aid. Since the opening of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Tirana in 1997 Switzerland is supporting Albania’s transition with a steadily growing, full-fledged programme in four different domains through with more than 20 Mio. CHF per year.
During the celebration the Swiss music duo Timorosso played the Alphorn, a traditional Swiss music instrument and a photo exhibition from Roland Tasho showed successful examples of Swiss people living in Albania as well as Albanians living in Switzerland.
The celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Swiss Embassy continue tomorrow, 13th of September with an event focusing on strengthening of economic ties between the two countries and will end on the 14th of September with the Premiere of the Swiss-Albanian film ‘Dealing with the Past’ and a panel discussion on the topic.
