Good evening.

 

• I want to thank Father Fran Kola for the generous invitation to celebrate this milestone with you tonight.  It is an honor to be back at St. Paul’s with all of you.  I want to also acknowledge an advisor of mine: my friend, Dom Kqira.

 

• Also, I understand that my good friend Consul General Ekrem Bardha is representing our community tonight in Albania and that he is receiving an award for his leadership.  I am grateful that his daughter – my friend Donika Bardha – and his son, Ghani, along with members of the Bardha family are here with us tonight.  Donika: please extend my greetings to your father and thank you for your family’s close friendship over the years.

 

• Amongst the many distinguished leaders in this great church is the Albanian Ambassador to the United States.  A man I have come to know and respect, Ambassador Gilbert Galanxhi.  Mr. Ambassador, it is wonderful to see you again.  Welcome back to Michigan.

 

• I have been with you at many important moments at this church including the celebration of the continued independence and growth of Kosova.  Every time I have been here, I have always been welcomed as a part of the Albanian family and I will always be grateful for that.

 

• As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to visit Albania and Kosova over a year ago and meet with the leaders of both countries, including both the majority and minority parties.  I will never forget driving along the roads and seeing many homes not only with an Albanian Flag – but with an American flag right by its side.  Let me reiterate that just as you fly the Albanian Flag side by side with the American Flag – so too is America on your side.  We are united as true allies and our friendship has never been stronger as we celebrate 100 years of Albanian Independence.  I also want to make this promise to you: as long as I serve in the United States Congress, the Albanian People will always have a friend in Washington.

 

• I am blessed to represent a large and active Albanian American community.  I am particularly privileged to serve on the Albanian Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

 

• I have been blessed to have Albanians on my congressional team for several years now.  Kushtrim Shaqiri worked on my congressional staff for many years and now Elisa Malile has joined my staff.   I have had interns Matilda Shpati and Nels Beljeri as well. As I begin my 3^rd term in Congress, I am grateful to continue to have the Albanian community represented in my office’s staff and grateful for the service these young men and women provide.

 

• I am particularly proud of your community’s patriotism, love for America and participation in the American democratic process.  Your engagement in the American political system is essential to ensure that you are fully represented.  My work on Albanian issues is strengthened thanks to our close friendship.

 

• I am grateful that in your active engagement in the democratic process you have chosen to support me.  I thank you – all of you – for your sincere friendship.  It has meant a great deal to me over the years and I am looking forward to growing our bonds for many years to come.

 

• As I enter my 3^rd term in Congress, I am keenly aware of the efforts of your community to bring attention to the needs of emerging democracies in the Balkan region and to strengthen U.S.-Balkan relations.

 

• The community’s continued efforts to aid Albanians in Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosova and Albania — and indeed throughout the world– are truly remarkable.  I applaud you for your commitment to your brothers and sisters back home.  Like all of you, I am committed to fight for Kosova’s true independence, which means full acceptance into the international community.

 

• The milestone we are celebrating tonight is impressive.  We must also insure that Albanians living in Montenegro enjoy full rights legal and civil.  Independent Albania suffered through two World Wars, and a brutal totalitarian regime.  Today Albania is a democracy with a market economy, but it still has room to improve in order to provide a better quality of life for its citizens.  Democracy is a journey – not a destination.

 

• Greater respect for free and fair elections, for the rule of law, and for civic institutions is needed for Albania to fully thrive.  Ending corruption and the perception of corruption will not only improve the lives of Albanians, it will bring more economic development and foreign investment.  I applaud Prime Minister Berisha and opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rahma for their commitment to free and fair elections next year.

 

• I believe the United States can and must be a key ally for Albania.  The United States must actively advocate for Albania’s induction into the European Union.  We should explore whether visa waiver programs could facilitate travel between our two great countries, and we should look for other ways to promote greater cultural ties.

 

• Most importantly, the United States should help facilitate greater trade between our country and Albania.  I know that the Albanian community here in the United States is both hard working and entrepreneurial, and would love to have greater opportunities to invest in Albania and help grow its economy.  We should do more to strengthen the economic ties between our two nations.

 

• Whether fighting for justice, advancing democracy, or working hard to strengthen our economy, Albanian Americans in Michigan and across America help make our nation even greater.  It is an honor to serve you and the Albanian American Diaspora in Congress.  Thank you all for your support.

 

• Congratulations on 100 years of Albanian Independence.

 

• May God Bless Albania and May God Bless the United States of America.