Russian Ambassador to Tirana Alexander Karpushin has given a reception on gave a reception on Diplomat’s Day which was attended by diplomats, Albanians veterans who have studied in Russia, friends of Russian Embassy, media representative etc.

“We are pleased with the high level of our continuous humanitarian and cultural cooperation. Concerts of Russian artists and activities with the participation of personalities of the Russian culture are successfully organized in Albania regularly,” said Mr. Karpushin last Wednesday in the following greeting to the participants in the reception: 

First of all, allow me to welcome you to our reception, where we have gathered on the occasion of the professional celebration of Russian diplomats- Diplomat’s Day.

According to the tradition, every year on this day the diplomatic staff of the Russian Embassy organizes a meeting in which we invite our colleagues from the Foreign Ministry of Albania, representatives of media and our friends, with whom we constantly cooperate. 

I would like to underline that in the past year the Russian Embassy in its efforts to take ahead the dialogue between Russia and Albania has aimed a pragmatic approach based on the healthy judgment and old and deep traditions of friendship and cooperation between our countries and people.

I think that our cooperation with the Foreign Ministry of Albania has developed in a constructive way and I am faithful that thanks to it the potential of economic cooperation between our countries will be fully exploited. Above all, I refer to the industry, energy, tourism and agriculture. In regards to this, we have high hopes in the next session of the Russia- Albania Intergovernmental Commission on trade, economic and technical- scientific cooperation, which is scheduled to be held this year in Tirana.

We are pleased with the high level of our continuous humanitarian and cultural cooperation. Concerts of Russian artists and activities with the participation of personalities of the Russian culture are successfully organized in Albania regularly. 

Another field where we are making progress is the education field. It is enough to say that Albania ranks first in Europe for the number of students who study in Russia’s universities with expenses covered by our state. I know that many of the people present in this room have once benefited from this right.

Not by chance we have invited all of you, honorable colleagues, to this activity to jointly celebrate Diplomat’s Day. I am certain that your high professionalism will further contribute to the stable development of relations between Russia and Albania in the domains which our countries consider priority. 

I propose a toast to the friendship and cooperation between our states and people! To the understanding and mutual support of the diplomats of both our countries!

Excerpts from the congratulation of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov conveyed through a video message: 

Today, our diplomatic service has to work in the conditions when the situation in the world is very exacerbated, common threats are rising, the danger of terrorism above all and other forms of organized crime, traffic of drugs. Problems related to the change of climate, lack of food in most of our planet are becoming sharper, when at the same time there is too much of it in other areas. All these are threats and challenges that require joint efforts.

The Russian Federation is consequently implementing in its foreign policy a concept approved by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who requires us to be guided by the interests of the country’s safety in close cooperation with all the countries ready to this equally, based on the respect for international law and especially for the main role of the UN. Based on this collective approach and the respect for interests of all the participants of international communication, we have managed to do many things last year. We reached a historic agreement on the nuclear program of Iran, we have completed the chemical demilitarization of Syria, and a very important document has been approved in the Conference on Climate in Paris.

However, clearly we could not solve all the problems last year. The number of conflicts and crises is not diminishing. This is significantly explained even by the fact that, besides the course of the majority of countries towards a collective partnership based on mutual respect, there is also another course, which is based on old dictate logics and imposition of values and views on the others as well as on the indispensability to dominate our world. This course appears very negatively in a series of conflicts, which are taking place in the Middle east and North Africa- in Iraq, Yemen and Libya, which was literally destroyed by NATO’s bombing in 2011. 

Now, unfortunately, we are seeing such efforts to follow the unilateral selfish course and to make profits only for a particular group of countries regarding the Syrian crisis. I am hopeful that healthy judgment will prevail in all these cases and in other conflicts in Africa and other parts of the world we will reach right conclusions from the lessons of the past and we will constantly act based on mutual respect and equality, based on the recognition and implementation of the central role of the UN. President of Russia Vladimir Putin encourages us for it. I am certain that all our diplomats will strictly follow this course in the interest of our country and of the growth of the welfare of our citizens.