In attendance were Acad. Skënder Gjinushi, Chairman of the Academy of Sciences of Albania; vice president of this academy acad. Vasil Tole; scientific secretary acad. Shaban Sinani, as well as members of the presidency of the Academy of Sciences.
Also, in attendance were the vice president of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, academic Justina Shiroka Pula; the ambassador of France, Mrs. Catherine Suard, academics, professors, friends and collaborators of the great writer Ismail Kadare.
The President of the Academy of Sciences of Albania acad. Skënder Gjinushi described the writer Ismail Kadare as the compass of the European belongingness of Albania, the leader of the European affiliation of the Albanian people.
“Kadare is an identity figure of the Albanian people, alongside Skënderbeu, Ismail Qemali and Mother Teresa,” said acad. Gjinushi
Appreciating Ismail Kadare’s work as a testament to civilization and identity, acad. Skender Gjinushi said that the death of Kadare is undoubtedly the biggest loss for Albanian literature; it is a very big loss for European and world culture and literature, for Albanian and European academia.
“Kadare’s work has crossed the borders of Albania, of the Albanian world, and is part of the patrimony of world literature,” said acad. Gjinushi
Acad. Gjinushi concluded his speech expressing his grief on behalf of the leadership of the institution and the members of the Assembly of this institution for this great loss, conveying his condolences to the family of academic Ismail Kadare and the entire academic community; that of literature, culture and arts; the entire Albanian intelligentsia, for the loss of their icon, adding that we, as an academy of sciences, will always be proud that I. Kadare was our member and that his work will be preserved as one of the treasures of our culture and albanological sciences, will be passed down to generations as a testament of civilization and identity, as a valuable national asset.