President Begaj at the Diaspora Summit: It is a particular joy and pleasure to greet you at this Fourth Summit of our Diaspora, in this summit where the Albanian family gathers once again after a 1-year journey, a journey that testifies to the unwavering will to turn our cooperation into a long-term state project.
The Diaspora Summit is taking place at a key moment: never before have we been so close to membership in the European Union. Albania is at an important stage of this process.
On this journey, the Albanian Diaspora is irreplaceable. It is not merely a part of our history, but the force that determines how far we can go as a nation. It must be part of how we think about the state, society, and the future.
Albania and Albanian identity do not end where our borders end. It is a heart that beats wherever there is an Albanian.
When we speak of the Diaspora today, we no longer speak only of nostalgia, longing, or numbers. We speak of global influence. Albanians are there: from the peaks of artificial intelligence, to international institutions, to the auditoriums of the best universities, to successful enterprises, to operating rooms, to sports fields and art stages.
Our Diaspora does not represent only a history of individual success. You are our power and strength! You are our best ambassadors, contributing not by order, but with pride! But this great potential of yours must be utilized.
For years on end, the connection between the state and the Diaspora has been more emotional than strategic. More words than concrete actions. More celebrations than real plans.
The time for that model is over. Today we are at another step, in a new relationship, with a new contract, a contract where the Diaspora is no longer seen as a source of remittances, but as a true development partner, where the state does not only seek contribution, but opens doors and creates real opportunities, where the connection is not only of the heart, but also of the mind, the economy, and our shared future.
This summit is precisely for this transition: from the question "what can the Diaspora do for Albania?" – to the question: "what can we do together?"
For decades, the Diaspora has been an economic lung. Thanks to you, many families have been financially supported and have moved forward, but I think the time of transfers solely for consumption is closing.
Our aim is to turn your savings into development capital, into real investments in energy, tourism, agriculture, technology, and new ideas.
We want our Diaspora to be a partner in Albania's future, to invest your minds and capital here, in your homeland.
But partnership requires commitment, it also requires representation. Now, the right to vote is no longer a promise. It is a reality. Albanians abroad vote and elect their representatives.
As we look towards 2030, the strategic objective of our membership in the European Union, we must not forget our compass: our national identity.
The Arbëresh world is living proof that Albanian identity survives centuries even when far from the homeland. But today the challenges are different. Therefore, we must invest more in the Albanian language, in education, in professional networks, and in cultural centers worldwide, so that younger generations do not inherit Albania as a distant memory, but as a living and strong connection.
Dear compatriots, our history has often been a history of departures. Our future must be a history of connections. A small nation on the map, but large on the globe, does not have the luxury of being divided. And our shared challenge is not only to talk about the Diaspora, but to make the Diaspora an organic part of our system.
On the road to Europe, our Albanian Diaspora is our most trusted voice, a representative of public diplomacy.
In the economy, you are our bridge to the world. In knowledge, science, research, and development, you are our most valuable resource.
Our country has a wealth that many countries dream of: a vibrant, talented, and successful Diaspora.
Now is the moment to turn this wealth into a strategy that yields concrete results. Therefore, I wholeheartedly invite you not to see Albania only as the country you left! See it as the country where you can leave a permanent mark. We are not building a new house here just for ourselves. We are building our shared home. You are not guests here. You are in your home. Welcome home! Good luck with the summit!" said Begaj.