TIRANA – The celebration of the Martyrs’ Day has brought together the highest ranking officials of Albania who paid tribute in a joint ceremony at National Martyrs’ Cemetery in Tirana on Tuesday.
President Ilir Meta, Prime Minister Edi Rama and Speaker Gramoz Ruci were together during the homage they paid to the nation’s martyrs on May 5, which has been set as the Martyr’s Day to remember those who laid their lives during the National Liberation War against the fascist and Nazi occupation.
Albania was liberated on November 29, 1944 a date which is contested by the right-wing political forces according to which the Liberation Day is November 28.
The ceremony took place under strict security measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the leaders also waited for the Albanian Anthem to be sung before leaving. A joint participation of the highest state and government officials is highlighted by local media because it has become common separate events due to political conflicts between them in different spans of time.
On Martyrs’ Day, President Ilir Meta spoke on the contribution given by them, during a visit to pay homages to the Martyrs’ Cemetery. “Today is the Martyrs’ Day. It is the day of our honor for those who have laid down their lives and everything for our country. So it is a day to express not only respect for their deed, but also to greet their family and descendants. It is a day of commitment to free and democratic Albania,” President Meta told journalists after the event.
Meta said that attention should be paid for the younger generation to become more familiar with fatherland’s martyrs. “Once again, I urge you to pay more attention to the education of young people on National Liberation War, with its most essential truths, with its extraordinary sacrifices,” he said. According to him, it would be good for country’s children to pay visits to sites like Borovo, southern Albania where the occupiers committed inhumane massacres against the people.
On the occasion of Martyrs’ Day, Speaker of the Parliament, Gramoz Ruci highlighted this Tuesday that Albanian families will always remember those who gave their life for the motherland.
In a separate statement Speaker Ruci considered May 5 as one of the most important days for Albania. “Martyrs’ Day is one of the most significant days of the nation. It is the day when Albania remembers girls and boys, women and men, who sacrificed themselves for their freedom and protection of the country,” he said. Ruci noted that every nation is proud of those who fell for country’s freedom. “There is no higher virtue for a society than honoring martyrs,” he said. /argumentum.al
