TIRANA, July  26 /ATA/ The Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj has been awarded the high title “Commandeur de l’Ordre de la Pléiade de la Francophonie et du dialogue des cultures” (Commander of the Order of the Pleiade of Francophonie and dialogue between cultures) by the Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie, in a special ceremony organized on Monday afternoon.

This title, which a year ago was conferred on the great Albanian writer, Ismail Kadare, was presented to him by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie, Francis Drouin. In his remarks, President Drouin appreciated the commitment of Mayor Veliaj for the organization of the Francophone Youth Parliament, which will be held this week in Tirana, as well as for policies in support of youth.

The ceremony was joined by former President of APF, Jean-Charles Luperto,  who said that Veliaj is a man of his word. “Veliaj is a man of commitment, a man of his word, because in November 2021, on the occasion of the Regional Assembly that was held in Tirana, he invited the Parliament to organize a francophone activity as part of  Tirana’s European Youth Capital. This week, Tirana also deserves the title “Francophone Capital of Youth.” Your city is today more open to the world and your dynamism is a contributing factor,” he said.

Jean-Charles Luperto underlined that Veliaj has the merit of creating a new perspective for Tirana, sending a clear message from the first day of his term in office by resetting to operation the City Clock tower.

After receiving the title, Mayor Veliaj expressed his gratitude for the high esteem and for singling Tirana out to host the Francophone Youth Parliament. “I am very honored today, many thanks for the Pleiades Medal. I don’t know if I deserve the Commander’s Order because I’m usually the servant; I mainly deal with waste removal, sewers systems, water supply system, cemetery maintenance, tree planting, which are not  command jobs, but make a difference in our city. I am very grateful to you today for deciding that Tirana, in the year of the European Youth Capital, will also be the World Capital of Francophonie,” he said.

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