It is an honor and a pleasure to be here today to commemorate together the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Albania and the Kingdom of Spain.

These have been four decades of a shared journey, one that brings to mind the words of the great Spanish poet Antonio Machado:

“Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.”

The road is made by walking, by acting, by building, step by step, the future we wish to create.

Y hoy celebramos cuarenta años haciendo camino al andar.

These have been four decades during which Albania and Spain have walked side by side, building a relationship founded on mutual respect, trust, friendship, and a lasting partnership.

At the heart of this relationship lie the bonds between our two peoples—two European and Mediterranean nations shaped by different histories, yet united by shared values and aspirations.

Archival documents show that Spain recognized Albania as early as 1922 through an official diplomatic note, and in 1929 established a diplomatic presence in Tirana. That presence was interrupted a decade later, only a few days after the Italian invasion of Albania in April 1939.

What followed were 47 years of interruption, a period during which Albania experienced the deepest and most dramatic political and social experiment in its modern history: an almost complete separation from Western Europe, a project that sought to transform even human consciousness, collective memory, and the individual’s relationship with freedom. Yet history demonstrated that no doctrine could replace humanity’s natural aspiration for dignity, freedom, and belonging to an open world.

When diplomatic relations between Albania and Spain were re-established in 1986, I was a university student.

Albania was still living under a communist regime. Enver Hoxha had passed away only a year earlier, and the system he had built remained in place, although signs of its exhaustion were already becoming apparent.

Across Europe, the winds of change had begun to blow—winds that would soon transform the continent and signal the end of an era. Yet Albania remained closed, isolated, and detached from the rhythm of European history.

In this context, the restoration of diplomatic relations between Albania and Spain was not merely a formal diplomatic act. It carried a deeper significance.

Spain itself had undergone, years earlier, one of the most successful democratic transitions in modern Europe. From a long dictatorship, it had emerged as a consolidated democracy and a success story. For Albania at that time, even though no one could yet foresee it, closer ties with countries such as Spain represented a small window of hope toward a different reality.

History often moves in ways that are invisible to those living through it, yet it is precisely these moments that are later understood as the forerunners of great change.

At that time, beyond hidden dreams, unspoken desires, and hopes that survived in silence, no one could imagine how profoundly Albania would change in the decades that followed.

From an isolated and almost forgotten country on the edge of the continent, nearly erased from Europe’s geopolitical map, Albania has, in just a few decades—less than the age of our diplomatic relations—transformed itself, through sacrifice, hardship, and even mistakes, into a functioning democracy and a reliable partner, a member of NATO, a source of stability, security, and cooperation in the region, and one of the candidate countries advancing rapidly toward membership in the European Union.

This transformation has been built on commitment and confidence, on profound reforms, with the support of our international partners, and above all on the unwavering conviction that Albania’s future is inseparably linked to Europe and to the values upon which the European project is founded.

Today, more than ever before, our strategic objective of joining the European Union finally appears within reach. We view this journey not only as a national success, but also as proof of the transformative power of the European vision.

Throughout this transformative journey, Spain has been a sincere friend and a valued partner of Albania.

It has supported reforms, the modernization of institutions, and has stood by our country at key moments in the consolidation of democracy and in our path toward the European Union.

During my visit to Spain in March—my first visit to an EU member state—with my counterpart, José Manuel Albares Bueno, we agreed to work together to fully unlock the extraordinary potential that still remains untapped in our bilateral relations.

Because relations between our two countries have never been stronger than they are today.

Our political dialogue is excellent, institutional cooperation is well established, and economic exchanges, trade, and investments continue to grow steadily. Equally encouraging is the strengthening of human and cultural ties, which constitute the most durable foundation of any long-term partnership.

A significant indicator of this growing connection is the increasing interest of Spanish citizens in Albania. During 2025, more than 108,000 Spanish tourists visited our country, while the first quarter of this year has recorded a further increase of more than 17 percent.

As our country enters the most dynamic and decisive phase of its European integration process, we know that we can continue to rely on the friendship, experience, and partnership of Spain.

The four decades we celebrate today have laid strong foundations, but the potential of our relationship is even greater.

With the same spirit of trust, respect, and shared European vision that has guided us thus far, Albania and Spain can together build new decades of partnership, friendship, and shared prosperity.

Let us therefore continue walking this path together.

Sigamos haciendo camino al andar.

Viva la amistad entre Albania y España!

Thank you very much — Muchísimas gracias.