TIRANA - "This is a very important year for Poland and its people as the 100th anniversary of the regaining of the independence of the Republic of Poland is commemorated. This is a jubilee year marking the centennial of the creation of my country," the Polish Ambassador to Albania, Karol Bachura has said.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Poland�s sovereignty, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (the lower chamber of the Polish Parliament) has declared 2018 to be the Jubilee Year of Poland�s Independence.

Speaking on this historical milestone in his greeting speech at a seminar organized by the Polish Embassy in Tirana in cooperation with the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS) on Wednesday Mr. Bachura told the participants among whom the Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Valentina Leskaj, deputies, the Rector of the University of Tirana, Mynir Koni, professors of political sciences as well as friends of Poland that Poland's Jubilee Year also coincided with the 555th anniversary of the death of Albania's National Hero Gjergj Kastrioti- Skanderbeg.

Albania has proclaimed 2018 as the 'Year of Skanderbeg'.

Ambassador Bachura recalled that the 80th anniversary of the reestablishment of the diplomatic relations between Poland and Albania was marked in 2017 but he observed that those ties go back to the 16th century at the time of Skanderbeg. In addition he briefed the participants on milestones of the Polish history until it restored its sovereignty in 1918.

Ambassador Bachura dwelt at length on the circumstances in which the outstanding Polish statesman, Jozef Pilsudski acted for Poland to regain independence. He revoked that period of history when Poland was erased from the map of Europe for 123 years because of its division between Russia, Prussia and Austria.

Josef Klemens Pilsudski, ( 5 December 1867 � 12 May 1935), was a Polish statesman; he was Chief of State (1918�22), "First Marshall of Poland" ( from 1920), and de facto leader (1926�35) of the Second Polish Republic, Minister of Military Affairs. From World War I he had great power in Polish politics, while being considered distinguished in the international scene. He is viewed as a founding father of the Second Polish Republic in 1918, 123 years after the country had been divided between Russia, Austria and Prussia.

Referring to the survival of the Polish nation through hardships in centuries the Ambassador pointed out that the foundation of its inspiration was 'the family, the faith and the tradition'.

Professors Genc Luarasi and Gjergj Sinani spoke on different historical aspects of the creation of the Polish State highlighting that they found common characteristics and mentalities between Albanian and Polish people as well as in their histories.

In his remarks Albert Rakipi, the AIIS executive director, brought to the attention of the participants that the latest edition of the magazine 'Europa' dedicated one-third of its content to Poland, its history and aspects of the Albanian-Polish relations in different stages.

Answering questions put to Ambassador Bachura the latter appreciated highly the level of the relations between Poland and Albania. "We are allies with Albania in NATO and Poland is an unwavering and staunch supporter of its drive to join the European Union," he said, adding that it was not a new stance because Warsaw had always backed the integration of the Western Balkans in the block.

Ambassador Bachura recalled the theory of Pope John Paul II, the Polish-born Karol Wojtyla, according to which Europe should "breathe with two lungs". As Mr. Bachura commented one lung is in the West and the other in the East, including the Western Balkans. He further said that Albania had a strong advocate in Poland for its EU membership. "Albania is a security provider rather than a security consumer in the region and beyond," he said, adding that the Visegrad Group countries had evaluated the creation of the Western Balkans Fund and RYCO as well as Albania's contribution in these two initiatives launched in the Western Balkans, which were unimaginable a few years ago.

Speaking of the cooperation in such fields like economy, tourism, education, culture etc. the Ambassador, Barucha saw the future with optimism. He broke the news that work was being done to open a Polish unit at the University of Tirana. On the other hand, he said that some business missions will come to Tirana having as target the promotion of the economic cooperation.

But the Ambassador considered as positive the flux of Polish tourists to Albania. "During the last years Albania is ranked among the ten most frequented destinations of my compatriots, and their number is growing. According to our preliminary estimations, in 2016 about 70,000 Polish tourists visited your country, while from January until October 2017 the number climbed to 115,000," he said, adding that the Polish had always loved the Adriatic and Ionian seas.

"You are the inheritors of the culture of hospitality, solidarity, values which have made you being called Albanians in centuries... and you are responsible for your future," Ambassador Bachura remarked.

In conclusion he said that he considered as fundamental the expansion of the bilateral cooperation in all possible fields and levels during his tenure. "The foundations have already been laid, now it is time to build," Mr. Bachura said.