{"id":1388,"date":"2015-01-21T10:21:18","date_gmt":"2015-01-21T09:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/?post_type=news&p=1388"},"modified":"2022-10-10T10:27:48","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T09:27:48","slug":"the-grand-masters-meetings-in-albania-focus-on-strengthening-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/news\/the-grand-masters-meetings-in-albania-focus-on-strengthening-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE GRAND MASTER Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing IN ALBANIA"},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-1388","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","news_categories-news"],"acf":{"evidence":"yes","focus_on":"no","breaking":"yes","news_content":"

Received by Head of State Bujar Nishani, Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing met the country\u2019s leading authorities<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was 1994 when the Sovereign Order of Malta and Albania established bilateral diplomatic relations. The next year Malteser Albania, the Order\u2019s volunteer corps, started working in the country. Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing\u2019s official visit to the Land of the Eagles was thus prompted by two twentieth anniversaries.<\/p>\n

After the welcoming ceremony on the morning of 19 January, the President of the Republic of Albania Bujar Nishanied and Grand Master Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing stayed for talks and later participated in a bilateral meeting extended to the respective delegations.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1994, the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Grand Master have greatly helped Albania and the Albanians to overcome the difficulties caused by the transition from a totalitarian society, with a bankrupt socialist economy in which even religious faith was legally forbidden, to an open and democratic society which also embraces the religious and moral values of a free society,\u201d said the Albanian president during a joint press conference. \u201cIn the official talks held today,\u201d the President continued, \u201cI had the opportunity to express directly to the Grand Master my gratitude and that of the Albanian people for the precious contribution the Sovereign Order of Malta has given through its embassy and its Malteser Albania service over these last 20 years in our country\u201d.<\/p>\n

President Nishani confirmed the mutual will to intensify cooperation: \u201cWe have decided to further promote bilateral cooperation, in particular in the health sector and in interventions in civil emergency situations, agreeing that it is important to amplify the bilateral legal framework\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlbania constitutes an important example of coexistence between religions. This should serve as a source of inspiration for all of us,\u201d the Grand Master said. \u201cBearing in mind the present international tensions and fears caused by terrorism, the issue of coexistence and cooperation has become all- important\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Grand Master had a full agenda in the Albanian capital. The day began early with a visit to the Apostolic Nuncio in Albania, Mons. Ramiro Moliner Ingl\u00e9s, followed by a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament Ilir Meta and a working lunch with Prime Minister Edi Rama and Health Minister Ilir Beqai.<\/p>\n

In the afternoon the Grand Master participated in the inauguration ceremony for the Sovereign Order of Malta\u2019s new ambassador in Tirana. Mons. Rrok Mirdita, Archbishop of Tirana and Durazzo, blessed the embassy premises in the presence of the Order\u2019s ambassador Stefano Palumbo and of the diplomatic staff.<\/p>\n

In the evening, ahead of the official dinner in honour of the Grand Master in the Palace of Brigades in Tirana, President Bujar Nishani conferred on Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing the decoration of the Albanian national flag \u201cfor the special contribution in strengthening relations between the Republic of Albania and the Sovereign Order of Malta, including a variety of social-health projects, in particular in northern Albania to provide disadvantaged persons with healthcare and education, as well as the assistance given to civilians during the war with Kosovo in 1999\u201d.<\/p>\n

The morning of 20 January Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing went to Scutari to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Order of Malta\u2019s volunteer corps, Malteser Albania.<\/p>\n","news_gallery":"yes","news_cover":{"id":1496,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_7013.jpg"},"news_gallery_elements":[{"id":1522,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_7058.jpg"},{"id":1472,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_6966.jpg"},{"id":1422,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_6896.jpg"},{"id":1408,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_6870.jpg"},{"id":1402,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_6855.jpg"},{"id":1392,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_7161-scaled.jpg"},{"id":1390,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_7157-scaled.jpg"},{"id":1394,"url":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2022\/09\/DSC_7079.jpg"}],"news_excerpt":"It was 1994 when the Sovereign Order of Malta and Albania established bilateral diplomatic relations. The next year Malteser Albania, the Order\u2019s volunteer corps, started working in the country. Fra\u2019 Matthew Festing\u2019s official visit to the Land of the Eagles was thus prompted by two twentieth anniversaries."},"news_categories":[{"id":10,"name":"News","slug":"news","description":"","link":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/news-categories\/news\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/1388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notizie\/1388\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/albaniaembassy.orderofmalta.int\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}