By Sali Berisha
Allow me to express my deepest gratitude, to you, the leaders of NATO member countries, for the historic decision you made today, to invite Albania to become a member of the most successful political-military Alliance that time has known. For Albanians, that so much have suffered and sacrificed for their freedom and dignity, and today support membership of their country into NATO by more than 95%, your decision here in Bucharest opened an era of secured freedom and the secure future they deserve.
The history of my country is the one of survival. The freedom and the future are one and indivisible. But, with your decision to invite Albania, you decided the return of the Albanians, one of the most ancient inhabitants of the continent, to the family of the Euro-Atlantic nations, with whom we share the century old values of our civilization.
The decision of the Heads of State and Governments of the NATO member states to invite Albania today, is the appreciation and affirmation of the efforts and achievements of the Albanians to transform Albania from a country of totalitarian dictatorship, deep isolation, complete hypercollectivization, forbidden rights and freedoms, to a country of political pluralism and functional democracy, rule of law, free market economy, a country, which during the last 15 years has established a loyal and comprehensive cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance.
Our servicemen are stationed together with your troops in Kabul and Herat and will be wherever NATO needs them.
With your decision you commended these achievements, and I want to express my deepest gratitude towards your nations and countries, for the solidarity and overall assistance they have given us in our path to build freedom and its values in our country. My deepest gratitude goes to NATO, its Secretary General and his team, for the very valuable assistance they have given us to make this possible
With your decision you have placed great confidence on us. But I would like to take a solemn oath before you today that we value this trust, above all, as a great responsibility of my nation towards your nations to carry out every reform, adopt and implement any decision and law to reach and consolidate the political, social, economic and military standards of NATO member states.
One of the greatest truths we have learned is that the reforms are the real “perpetuum mobile” of the free society. They will be such for our society as well.
By expressing once again my appreciation to all of you and your countries for the historic decision you made today, I avail of the opportunity to close with a personal feeling:
In this Palace, the story of which is very well known, a country that was ruled by the most ruthless dictator of post-war Europe, who, for more than four decades, put up so many bunkers in the cities, villages, valleys, mountains and hills of the country that, were they assembled in one place, it would suffice to build the pyramids of Egypt, twice, is invited today to become member of NATO!
For me this is a miracle, the miracle of freedom!
Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s speech at the NATO Bucharest Summit
