The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, met with the Lithuanian poet, novelist, and translator, Tomas Venclova, whom he assessed as the "Kadare of Lithuania," emphasizing that such clear voices symbolize revival and hope in today's times.
"It's a special pleasure to have Tomas Venclova in our city, one of not only the greatest poets but also a dissident, or the Kadare of Lithuania. I am very pleased that in these troubled times, where conflicts arise, and the ambitions of old empires are resurfacing everywhere, especially with the war happening in Europe, we need clear voices, those who fought, survived, and prevailed, to give us hope that no occupation lasts forever, no dictatorial madness lasts forever, and no closure or isolation lasts forever," said Veliaj.
For the mayor, today the capital city is an example of fundamental transformation and openness to the world, unlike the period when the Lithuanian poet first visited Tirana.
"There are always positive forces and energy to open up places, to produce freedom, and as someone who knows Albania very well and has come here over the years, I am very happy today he finds Tirana not only big and clean but also a place that is open to the world. When I remember you came here in those days of isolation, today we have a completely different city. From the most surrounded, most isolated place, we have 10 million tourists and maybe more this year," he said.
In turn, the Lithuanian poet, Tomas Venclova, reiterated that the change in the Albanian capital is incredible and now finds a city with extraordinary development.
"Tirana is unrecognizable. I remember the visit back then, in the Tirana of the '90s, it was completely different. I remember this building, I remember the Mosque, Skanderbeg Square, but it seems there has been an extraordinary development since then," Venclova said.
Tomas Venclova is considered one of the most important poets of Eastern Europe in the 20th century. He is one of the 5 founders of the Lithuanian Helsinki Group. For all interested parties, a 100-minute documentary about the life of Tomas Venclova is being shown in the premises of the former "Agimi" cinema, which evokes nostalgia but also inspire the younger generation, aiming for engagement in politics and active life, as well as convey the message that history often repeats itself.
/k.s/
