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On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of its founding, the Pan-Albanian Federation Vatra organized a festive evening and an international scientific conference attended by Albanian-American activists and senior representatives from Albania and Kosovo.
Activists of this organization, the largest of the Albanian community in the US, recalled the contribution between generations of this organization for the Albanian cause and pledged that the mission of Vatra will not stop. Also present at the ceremony were the President of Albania Ilir Meta and the Mayor of Prishtina Përparim Rama.
The largest organization of Albanians in America, the Pan-Albanian Federation Vatra, marked the 110th anniversary of its founding on Sunday. The participants in the ceremony recalled the more than a century-old commitment of Vatra for the creation of the Albanian state, the freedom and independence of Kosovo and the Albanian cause in general.
The ceremony, held in the Bronx neighborhood of New York, was attended by a large number of Albanian-American activists and senior political representatives from Albania and Kosovo.
In his speech before the audience, the president of this organization, Elmi Berisha, spoke about the motives that prompted the establishment of Vatra in 1912.
“The hearth was formed for a reason. For the Albanian state to be created, to be formed in the circumstances that were at that time. But consistently, he has never stopped keeping it alive, protecting it from bad neighbors, and protecting it from evil. This continued for 100 years, until the final thing came that all Albanians around the world have been waiting for, the independence of Kosovo. “he said.
Also present at the event was the President of Albania Ilir Meta. He said that today Albanians are in a much better position compared to that of 110 years ago, while adding that the contribution of the organization Vatra in these achievements is indisputable.
“We are today to honor the contribution of whole generations to the Albanian cause. You have deepened the Albanian-American friendship and you have been a key factor in the Albanian cause and you have made the Albanian issue on the American agenda in these 110 years. You have kept alive our dream of freedom even when it was violated by the communist regime. You have kept alive the dream of freedom even when it seemed hopeless to our compatriots because of the cruel genocide. You, the Albanians of the United States of America, have done everything for America not to abandon them and to be in our support “said President Meta.
President Meta also praised the assistance of Albanian-Americans in the Kosovo issue. On this occasion, he decorated with the title “Honor of the Nation” former members of the Atlantic Battalion, brothers Ylli, Mehmet and Agron Bytyqi for their contribution to Kosovo’s struggle for freedom and independence. President Meta also decorated some other Albanian-American activists.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Pristina, Përparim Rama, asked for the help of Vatra and the Albanian-American community to consolidate Kosovo as a state.
“Please, Vatra together with our compatriots, enable us to coordinate the flag of Kosovo with other flags in the United Nations. The second request is to make Kosovo a member of NATO. I ask all Albanian-American companies to join us in the transformation of the capital, in the transformation of Kosovo and all Albanian lands because now we are not asking for alms. Come invest, you also win, Albanianness also wins. So let’s build our Albanian lands together “.
In addition to the rich cultural program during the festive evening, on this anniversary the Vatra Federation organized an international scientific conference, during which scholars from the Albanian academic world presented papers on the role of the Vatra organization in the Albanian cause.
Vatra is the longest running organization of Albanians in America, which continues to publish Gazeta Dielli, which is the oldest Albanian newspaper.
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