President Shares Details from Vatican Meeting with Pope Francis | CPT PPP Coverage

The President of the Republic, Mr. Bajram Begaj visited the Holy See in the Vatican this Friday, where together with the First Lady, Armanda Begaj, he was received in a special audience by the Holy Father, Pope Francis. 

President Begaj thanked the Holy Father for the audience and referring to the centuries-old historical relations between Albanians and their leaders with the Holy See, expressed his deep gratitude for everything the Vatican State has done for the Albanian people, especially after the democratic changes in the 90s. 

The Head of State appreciated the visits of Pope Vojtila in 1993 and Pope Francis in 2014 as strong messages of support for Albanians, for their history and sacrifices for freedom, independence and dignity. 

Referring to the visit of Pope Francis to Albania, President Begaj said that the Pope’s assessment of interfaith coexistence and harmony in Albania makes all Albanians proud. President Begaj assured Pope Francis that Albanians feel valued and are grateful for the decisions of Pope Francis and the Holy See for the sanctification of Mother Teresa, the beatification of 38 martyrs of the Albanian Catholic Church, the appointment of Father Ernest Troshan as Honorary Cardinal of the Vatican, and recently the appointment of Monsignor Arjan Dodajt as Archbishop of the Albanian metropolis of Tirana-Durres. 

During the meeting with the Holy Father, the President of the Republic paid special attention to Kosovo. Welcoming the very good canonical relations between the Holy See and the Catholic community of Kosovo, President Begaj underlined that “since the day of the declaration of independence, Kosovo has made extraordinary progress in the direction of building the state of law and democracy”. 

During the audience, the talks also focused on the developments in the Western Balkan region as well as the impact of the Russian aggression in Ukraine on the region. 

President Begaj invited the Holy Father for a visit to Albania, assuring him that he would always be welcomed with open arms by the Albanian people.