The Ambassador of Great Britain in Tirana, Alastair King-Smith, said that the organization of the Culture Week of Great Britain in Tirana is a very good initiative for strengthening cultural ties between the two countries.

In a television interview, the British ambassador expressed his belief that this will be a cultural celebration.

“Albania has a really rich culture and history and no doubt the same is true of the United Kingdom. During this week, sports will be the first. We will organize a cricket game at Skanderbeg Square. I know that cricket may not be very popular in Albania, but in Britain we play it a lot, just like in the world. Albania plays a lot of football and knows it well, so we thought to present cricket as well”, he said.

The ambassador emphasized that the famous singer Rita Ora will come for a grand concert on September 6.

“She is a star in Britain and the world, and a pop singer, but in her heart and soul she is definitely Kosovar and Albanian, so it is wonderful that these connections unfold through music. And then we will move on to other things. We will celebrate literature and the role of British authors in Albanian culture, as well as cultural ties. I believe that the people of the cultural world have a very important role. They are often role models for young people. Often what they do, say, their songs, their messages touch people in ways that governments cannot, and that is very important. And I’m really happy that Rita is going to come here and show us how you can achieve success. It doesn’t matter if you were born in Kosovo, in Albania, or in Britain, to be an international success story you need a lot of work and of course you need to use the talent you have”, he said.

Ambassador King-Smith said that other activities will be held in Korça and Shkodra.

/Klara Ruci/