On 18 September 2016, Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati visited Boston. During this visit he held a conversation with representatives of the Albanian Diaspora in Boston, organized in collaboration with the Center for International Development at Harvard University.
In his address, Minister Bushati praised the contribution of Albanians in the U.S. and the role that representatives of the Albanian community have played with regard to our country’s national cause and development. “The founders of the modern Albanian state, among whom members of our diaspora in Boston, knew very well that independence could not be preserved without economic development” - Minister Bushati underscored.
He informed participants about investments made in recent years to modernize consular infrastructure and make use of new technologies, with a view to enable the provision of online services in a transparent and secure manner, such as the “E-Consulate”, for all Albanians, wherever they are.
Minister Bushati underlined the need for Albanian institutions to establish a structured partnership with the Diaspora and in this context, noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration, is drafting a national strategy to effectively include the Albanian Diaspora in the development of the country.
The implementation of this strategy will be discussed with representatives of the Albanian Diaspora in all countries of the world during the first Diaspora Summit to be held in Tirana this year, in November.
During his stay in Boston, Minister Bushati also visited the Albanian Language and Heritage School, 'BESA', which marks the 10th anniversary of its foundation. In a warm and friendly atmosphere, he handed textbooks of Albanian language and history of Albania, a gift of the Albanian government to Diaspora children.
Moreover, Minister Bushati attended the Albanian community Mass at St. George Cathedral in Boston, where Fan Noli celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the Albanian language in the history of the Orthodox Church, on March 22, 1908.
At the end of the ceremony, Father Arthur Liolin handed the "Ex-Libris" stamp to Minister Bushati, with which Faik Konica used to seal his letters and books, a gift of the Fan Noli Library in Boston to the Albanian National Library.