Thousands of citizens, politicians and foreign dignitaries attended the ceremony at the Congress Palace in Tirana, where wreaths were laid in his honour.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, Speaker Niko Peleshi, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku and several cabinet members joined the tributes, along with former presidents Alfred Moisiu and Bamir Topi.

Opposition politicians, including former Democratic Party leader Lulzim Basha, also paid their respects.

Regional figures such as Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti and North Macedonia’s Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) leader Ali Ahmeti were among the mourners.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps, the judiciary, and religious communities also attended.

After the ceremony, Nano’s coffin was escorted through Tirana’s main boulevard to the Council of Ministers building before being taken to Sharra cemetery for burial.

As the procession departed, Frank Sinatra’s My Way – Nano’s favourite song – was played while citizens placed white carnations on the casket.

The government declared November 2 a national day of mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and a minute of silence observed at noon.

Nano, who served five times as prime minister, was a central figure in Albania’s post-communist transition and is remembered as the founder who transformed the former Labour Party into the modern Socialist Party.

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The decision was announced by the Prime Minister Edi Rama via a post on the social media on Tuesday,

Public tributes will be conducted at 09:00 a.m. at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet.

The official state ceremony is set to take place at 11:30 a.m. and the funeral procession will head to the Tufina cemetery at 12:30 p.m.

Ismail Kadare passed away at the age of 88  a day ago. The Council of Ministers declared two days of national mourning in tribute to renowned writer and the national flag is being flown at half-mast across all state and public institutions.

As Albania and the world bid farewell to Ismail Kadare, his legacy will undoubtedly endure, leaving an indelible mark on both Albanian culture and global literature.

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