Representatives from Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, the Presevo Valley, the diaspora and the Arbëresh communities in Italy have come together in Calabria, in an activity that combines culture, heritage, identity and cooperation between Albanian spaces.
As part of the Permanent Regional Tourism Forum, taking place on September 18-20 in the Albanian municipalities of Calabria, the Union of Albanian Municipalities in the Region has gathered around 60 representatives from various Albanian areas.
Beyond the cultural and tourist agenda, the meeting also took on a dimension of solidarity with Kosovo. Representatives of the Arbëresh municipalities and delegates from the Albanian regions conveyed the message "Freedom for the liberators", at a time when the debate continues in Kosovo about the judicial developments in The Hague against former leaders and members of the KLA.
The focus of the forum is the Arbëresh heritage and its potential to serve as a bridge in the development of tourism, culture and economic cooperation.
Language, traditional clothing, gastronomy, music, rituals and customs preserved across generations are part of the activities developed during the forum.
The meeting in Calabria aims to ensure that the heritage of the Arbëresh people does not only remain part of historical memory, but also serves as a starting point for new projects in the fields of tourism, culture, youth and creative industries.
In the Arbëresh land, where Albanian communities have preserved their language and identity over the centuries, representatives from Albanian territories and the diaspora have thus conveyed a double message: the preservation of common heritage and solidarity with Kosovo.
