Foreign Ministry, cooperation agreement in Skopje on the study of Albanian documentary heritage

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of Albanians in Skopje signed a cooperation agreement today on the study and promotion of Albanian documentary heritage.

According to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEPJ), the focus is on the period between the two world wars and on Albanian heritage in the region.

“The cooperation already has a concrete starting point: the documents selected by the Institute’s researchers in the Historical and Diplomatic Archive. Their study will create the basis for joint research, publications and scientific activities,” the MEPJ announced.

According to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the archival documents shed light on the activity of diplomatic and consular missions, relations with Albanian communities in the region, and efforts to preserve Albanian identity, education and culture.

“The years 1918–1939 brought major political and social changes that affected the lives of Albanians beyond the borders of the Albanian state. The archival documents offer testimony on the activity of diplomatic and consular missions, ties with Albanians in the region and efforts to preserve Albanian identity, education and culture,” the MEPJ said.

The MEPJ stressed that “the value of an archive is also expressed in what happens after a file is opened: a fact that is clarified, a connection that is discovered, a story that is completed.”

“By studying this evidence together, we bring Albanian heritage closer to researchers and the public,” the MEPJ underlined.