We need to pool a lot more efforts and do a lot more work to ensure that the rights of the Bulgarian national minority in Albania are fully enforced. This is what Head of State Rumen Radev said at a meeting in Tirana with representatives of the Bulgarian national minority in Albania. The President is paying a state visit in the country at the invitation of his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta.

Rumen Radev highlighted the considerable contribution of the Bulgarian associations in Albania to defending the language, cultural and national identity, despite the difficulties and obstacles throughout the years. Bulgaria remains strongly committed to the cause for safeguarding the rights of our compatriots abroad, the Head of State further emphasized. To this end, both a responsible attitude of the Bulgarian state is needed and also unified efforts on the part of the Bulgarian associations. We can achieve success in this cause only if there is unity and the associations speak in one voice on the important issues after consultations and interactions, the President said and added that it is essential that a common candidacy is nominated for the Committee on National Minorities at the Albanian government.

The President further said that at his meeting with the Albanian state institutions he was assured that the laws regarding the national minorities will be efficiently adopted and the necessary regulations will be adopted. Rumen Radev reiterated the key importance of preserving the language and cultural identity by studying the Bulgarian language as an elective course and through courses, and also for its recognition as a second language in the Albanian educational system.

“I expect that you will be much more active, considering that you have to work with our compatriots and the children. Studying the Bulgarian language is the most important condition for preserving the identity and is an important bridge with Bulgaria,” the President told the leaders of the Bulgarian associations. In his words, one of the conditions for the increase of the number of Albanian students studying in Bulgaria is namely the good command of the Bulgarian language.

The Head of State said that it is essential that the Albanian citizens with Bulgarian identity at the forthcoming census have the opportunity to exercise their right to freely express their will and the Bulgarian associations should also play an important role in this respect.

At the meeting the representatives of the Bulgarian associations raised issues regarding the simplification of the procedures on acquiring Bulgarian citizenship, and also on studying the Bulgarian language. President Radev said that reforms are yet to be conducted in this area and so is the relieving of the procedures.

At the meeting Rumen Radev awarded the president’s honorary sign to the honorary consul of Bulgaria in Albania Selim Hoxhaj for his contribution to the development of the bilateral relations and his many-year active support for our compatriots in Albania.