Prime Minister Edi Rama participated on Monday in the inauguration ceremony of the new Puppet Theater in the capital, where he emphasized, “We will continue making every effort to create as many spaces, opportunities, and open as many doors as possible for a wide range of activities for the children of the capital and children all across Albania.”

In his speech, Rama said, “I am glad that after a relatively long period of closure due to the restoration work to restore this building, its doors have now been opened and the theater’s activities will resume.”

“We are here together with our friends, our EU partners, who have been by our side since the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that caused so much damage and, sadly, took lives. Among the damaged buildings were several cultural heritage sites,” emphasized Rama.

The PM stated that “for this reason, a special program was designed in collaboration with them, including 27 buildings of unique value for our history and heritage, built back better and stronger for the citizens and communities.”

Rama continued, “Indeed, the earthquake caused extensive damage to the ceiling of this building, but its condition had long been deplorable.”
Rama highlighted, “In the meantime, we began the project for another children’s theater, which is now starting to take shape on the opposite side of Tirana’s boulevard, near the entrance to the city park. This new theater will soon open its doors, offering various spaces and a broad, diverse program for children of all ages.”

The Prime Minister emphasized, “This building has a rich history and important reasons for its preservation and upkeep. The investment made here is much more than it appears at first glance, as demonstrated in the short feature documentary. It addresses the hidden, yet most complex parts of the theater, including everything that supports the stage and ensures the necessary conditions are in place.”

Rama stated, “This theater previously lacked central heating and cooling system, but now it has them, among other improvements. Beyond these updates, I believe this theater is particularly important because, in today’s world, the development of infrastructure and cities is meant to serve everyone, yet the most challenging aspect remains addressing the needs of children.”

Prime Minister Rama stated, “Those who are least involved in development and its results are children. Beautiful buildings, hotels, resorts, and offices are being constructed, but what is left for children is very little. For this reason, it’s always more than just another building or project when something is added for the benefit of children. I’m very pleased that at least this door has been opened. We are working every day to open the other door to the larger children’s theater.”

/k.s/sm/