President Begaj is declared “Honorary Citizen” by the Municipality of Roshano

As part of the state visit to Italy, the President of the Republic, H.E.Mr. Bajram Begaj paid a visit to the municipality of Roshano, where he met with the local authorities of the municipality and the region of Abruzzo, with representatives of the Arbëresh community of Roshano, but also with the new Albanian diaspora settled there in the last three decades. In this meeting, President Begaj was honored with the title of "Honorary Citizen" by the Mayor of Roshano, Dr. Simone Palozzo. In his remarks, President Begaj appreciated the dedication of the community of Arbëresh of Villa Badessa, who knew how to preserve the language, culture, and traditions of the ancestors. "Thank you very much for this warm and fraternal hospitality that you organized on the occasion of my arrival in Villa Badessa, and moreover organized in this Church, a symbol of the Arbëresh people and pride for every Albanian", President Begaj said in his remarks. Speaking of the family atmosphere that every Albanian experiences in Villa Badessa, President Begaj said that: "The square, the church, the streets, the bust of the Albanian Lord, the houses, the cooking - all radiate your Arbëresh heritage and for that we are truly grateful”. The President also focused on the meeting with President Mattarella, underlining that: "I assure you that an important part of the meeting with President Mattarella was dedicated to the Arbëresh people, for whom I assure you he had tremendous respect, and we agreed to develop joint projects in the interest of Arbëresh residents. In today's conditions, we must do even more, so that the Arbëresh language, the unique religious traditions are preserved and passed down to future generations." The Head of State thanked the authorities of the Abruzzo region for the help they have always given to the Albanian diaspora to integrate into Italian society. "Practically, more than half a million Albanians live in Italy, who are part of the Italian society, very well integrated in this society", President Begaj said. The Arbëresh, as well as the Albanians who came after the 90s, have never been endangered by the assimilation of their language or their traditions. The President expressed his joy regarding the fact there are elected Albanians in the municipal councils, and that an Albanian school was opened for the first time in Pescara. The President of the Republic, H.E.Mr. Bajram Begaj also visited the city of Chieti, where he was received by the local authorities, including the Mayor of Chieti, Diego Ferrara, the President of the Province of Chieti, Francesco Menna, the Prefect of Chieti, Mario Della Cioppa, etc. In the remarks delivered during the meeting, the President expressed his gratitude for the support given to Albanians to integrate in Italy, but also for the help given to Albania in the integration processes. The Head of State also noted the help of the hospital center of Chieti and the Province of Chieti, in the treatment of Albanian children and patients, especially in the hematology department. At the end of his meetings, the President requested that the old and new Albanian community in Italy, as well as the Italian community in Albania, continue to be a strong connecting bridge between Albania and Italy.