Lublin Dilja, A Talented Diplomat, Passes Away

TIRANA, Feb 2 – Lublin Dilja, 51, passed away following a grave illness.
Dilja worked as Albania’s vice ambassador to the United Nations mission.
Dilja was post-communist Albania’s first ambassador to the United States during 1993-1997, then a lawmaker for the Democratic Party from 2001 to 2002.
Dilja also worked with the Albanian Institute for International Studies first as Deputy and then its director before becoming a lawmaker.
Dilja, who graduated in English at the University of Tirana, started his career as an English professor in Elbasan and Tirana and completed some further training courses in the US, Britain and Italy on psychology and pedagogy.
Dilja was also a distinguished staff member of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology.
Many Albanian personalities, including top country’s officials, sent their condolences to his family.
President Bamir Topi called him a “model of calmness, maturity, tolerance and culture.
The Foreign Ministry also expressed its condolences paying great respects to the late diplomat.
Adrian Neritani, Albania’s ambassador to the UN, considered him of “highly significant professional quality, nicely combining his diplomatic profession with his educational qualities.”
Dilja was also well-respected from the Albanian diaspora in the United States and the counterparts at the UN headquarters.
Dilja also played a great role in lobbying for Kosova’s independence at the UN headquarters.
Dilja is survived by his spouse and two children.