TIRANA, Nov 13 /ATA/- On the British-German Remembrance Day, a tribute ceremony was held on Sunday at the memorial cemetery of English soldiers in Tirana’s Artificial Lake Park under the auspices of the UK Ambassador in Tirana, Alastair King-Smith, and the German Ambassador, Peter Zingraf.
Participating in this ceremony to mark the 104th anniversary of the end of the First World War were representatives of politics, foreign diplomats accredited in our country and representatives of religious communities.
The Ambassador of Great Britain in Tirana, Alastair King-Smith said that Remembrance Day honors those who serve to protect our democratic freedoms and our lifestyle.
“Today we unite across faiths, cultures, nationalities and backgrounds to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community. We also honor the special contribution of families and emergency services. Equally imperative is the importance of remembering innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism,” King-Smith emphasized.
He underlines that the commemoration is not meant to glorify the war, but is an opportunity for all of us to try and work together for a peaceful future.
During the ceremony, the British diplomat said that “World War II was a “Titanic” for the English people and the whole world. Many young people left their homes never to return. That war brought democracy and freedom.”
He described the recent aggression in Ukraine as another tragedy that has affected the world and that takes us back to the past.
“ “Therefore, what we can do is to build bridges of cooperation with each other, leaving grudges behind to build and protect the democratic and free world that we have achieved thanks to the sacrifices of men and women in the past”, King-Smith said.
The German ambassador in Tirana, Peter Zingraff, said that the sacrifice of those who died in the Second World War should not be forgotten, especially at a time when peace is fragile.
“There is nothing better than Tirana to hold this ceremony. That time reminds us how important peace is. At the beginning of this year, the war again unleashed its darkest side and what we must do is to be together, leaving behind the divisions of the past, for the great goal of preserving peace and democracy”, stated Zingraf.
The Minister of State for Relations with the Parliament, Elisa Spiropali, emphasizes that “today that Putin’s War is trying to bring Europe to its knees, the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for freedom and the memory of those whom the war sacrifices with its cruelty, remain more relevant than ever.”
The Lake Park memorial cemetery commemorates British soldiers who fell during the Second World War in Albania. During this war, 52 British and Commonwealth servicemen were killed in Albania. Their sacrifice for a long time was not mentioned in the historical records of Albania, since Britain was considered by the former communist regime as an enemy imperialist country. In October 1944, 40 British naval commandos launched an attack to take control of the southern city of Saranda. When they landed in one of the bays of the city, they encountered strong resistance from the German forces. However, they managed to break the resistance of these forces by joining forces of the Albanian partisans to continue the war.
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