The Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has initiated a program titled "For Albanians in the Region," starting today with scholarships for students from the Presheva Valley. Five Albanian universities will offer scholarships every academic year to students from the region.
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| Presevo Valley officials and Igli Hasani in the middle, source: Facebook |
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Igli Hasani, announced this week that students from the Presheva Valley will benefit from scholarships to study at Albanian universities.
During a joint press conference with the President of the National Albanian Council of the Presheva Valley, Nevzad Lutfiu, and the Rector of "Eqrem Çabej" University in Gjirokastër, Bektash Mema, regarding the initiative "For Albanians in the Region: Study Opportunities for Students from the Presheva Valley," held at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Hasani expressed that there would be 30 scholarships per year, starting from the next academic year 2024-2025.
Hasani initially greeted, "Happy March 7th, this symbolic day of education, expressing special thanks to teachers for the inspiring change they bring."
"I am pleased that precisely on this important day, I welcomed a group of friends from the National Albanian Council of the Presheva Valley and from several leading universities in Albania to discuss an important cooperation initiative in the field of higher education," said Hasani.
Specifically, Hasani emphasized that "starting from the academic year 2024-2025, 30 students, both girls and boys from the Presheva Valley, will have the opportunity to pursue university studies in Albania every year, benefiting from scholarships and free accommodation throughout the study period."
"Not only that, but following the model proposed by the Municipality of Gjirokastër and the University of Gjirokastër, which started the project last October, students may also be offered employment opportunities in Albania during the summer months," Hasani added.
Hasani stressed that "it is no coincidence that Albania has chosen education as the main focus of support for the Presheva Valley. We believe that precisely from education begins all efforts to strengthen and revitalize the political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of this community of our compatriots who face a challenging situation and deserve all our support."
However, he continued, "even though it starts with education, the commitment of the Albanian Government to support Albanian citizens in the Presheva Valley does not end here. This commitment does not only include the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs or just the universities and municipalities, because here we are talking about a clear and expressed will of the Albanian government, of Prime Minister Edi Rama, to support in every field and through as many concrete initiatives as possible for our brothers and sisters in Presheva."
Meanwhile, Hasani added, "ways to provide support for specializations in the field of medicine and the development of medical practices in state or private hospitals in Albania are being considered as a priority, as well as opportunities for cooperation in the field of culture and media."
In addition to these initiatives, Hasani expressed that, "in the near future, our objectives will also materialize with other projects to assist the Albanian community. Firstly, to curb the passivization of addresses, which is undoubtedly something that concerns us greatly, secondly, for the recognition of diplomas and the deepening of cultural, economic, and trade exchanges, because we believe that this will contribute to the affirmation of the rights of Albanians in the Presheva Valley, which also constitutes a criterion for Serbia's integration process into the European Union. Strengthening cooperation with the Albanian factor, everywhere in the region, guaranteeing their rights to all Albanians, and strengthening their political, social, and economic empowerment are our priorities," emphasized Hasani.
Hasani assured the Albanians of the Presheva Valley that they will always have an open door in Albania for any assistance or cooperation.