TIRANA, April 8 – Hundreds of citizens among whom even children gathered on Friday in a demonstration in Tirana, in support of Ukraine, which is facing Russian aggression, which has so far caused thousands of casualties.
Citizens then marched towards the Ukrainian Embassy with Ukrainian flags and banners in hand. The anthems of Ukraine and Albania were performed in front of the Ukrainian Embassy.
The event was greeted with a video message by the Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, who thanked Albania for its support in these difficult moments for his country.
Demonstrators also walked to the Russian Embassy in Tirana.
Ambassador Volodymyr Shkurov thanked Albania and Albanians for their human solidarity. “Today I am addressing you on behalf of our people who have bravely defended our homeland in the past 43 days. This effort has taken on an epic scale with the manifestation of the highest virtues of Ukraine, which makes me proud to say that I am Ukrainian,” said the Ambassador.
He launched an appeal to the civilized world to transfer the necessary weapons and take the toughest sanctions on Russia. “The city of Bucha leaves us without any doubt that Russia is not endangering with its brutality only Ukraine, but the whole democratic world,” said Ambassador Shkurov.
The American Ambassador to Tirana, Yuri Kim, expressed her solidarity for the war in Ukraine in her remarks at the manifestation organized in Tirana. She stressed that the Albanian people know very well what it means to try to extinguish the existence of a nation.
“I join you in expressing solidarity with the friends of Ukraine and saying “Long live Ukraine!” said Ambassador Kim.
In the meantime, Mayor Erion Veliaj expressed his gratitude to the citizens of Tirana who joined the demonstration to show that Tirana is not silent in the face of Russian atrocities.
Veliaj expressed pride, especially for the Albanians who have opened the doors to receive war refugees in Ukraine. He invited citizens of the Capital to give material goods, to open their houses, showing that Albanians act as they did for the Jews during the Second World War, with the Afghans a year ago.
In addition the Mayor addressed Russian diplomats in Tirana to line up on the right side of history. /Argumentum.al
