TIRANA – Albania will officially recognize the language of minorities in local government offices, where such communities make up 20 percent of the population. This proposal was made by the Interior Minister, Sander Lleshaj.
At the request of the minorities, the road signs will be in two languages, in Albanian and the language of the relevant minorities.
According to the draft decision, any administrative unit in which 20% of the population is part of the officially recognized minorities, they will have the right to use their language in communications with the local government.
The draft of the Interior Ministry which was seen by Report TV, provides the use of the language of minorities as well as the right to place in their language placards, signage, toponyms of neighborhoods and squares. The draft is currently under consideration and is expected to receive parliamentary approval after being reviewed by parliamentary committees to turn to law within a year.
Albania is inhabited mostly by Albanians (82.58%). It recognizes nine national minorities and they include Aromanians, Balkan Egyptians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Bosniaks, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs and Roma. /argumentum.al
