The freedom we won is greater than anything else
SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, MR. SALI BERISHA, BEFORE THE VILLAGERS OF ZHUZË
Yesterday morning the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, paid a visit to the Korçë district. At the ceremony organized with the participation of the residents of Zhuzë, the village representatives spoke after him. President Berisha said in his speech:
First of all, I want to express my pleasure at being here in Zhuzë after three years. I was here in 1990 after leaving Tirana. I came to these parts with my dear mother, who was ill and often gathered her strength and came to visit her daughter. After that I first went to Shqeri i Sipërm and then to this village. I remember this day fondly, because together with the inhabitants of this village we signed the first papers for the creation of the branch of the Democratic Party in the Korçë district.
Today, in the assembly of the people of Zhuzë, I felt as if I were among my friends. As soon as we passed the hills, I remembered the beautiful landscape that I had seen. I remembered the expanse that opens up when you climb the Bezhan pass. This area is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. This area has a history to be proud of and is a region with great patriotic traditions.
My friends, you surely followed the magnificent ceremony for the inauguration of the bridges on the Devoll river. That bridge was built on the site of a bridge constructed 57 years ago by the Italians. It remained in ruins, but today it has stood on its own feet again. This bridge will bring you closer to Ersekë, but it will also open the window to Greece even wider. We are building roads, we are building bridges. Every asphalted kilometer means greater access to the market, to new life, and to the road of development.
One of the fundamental goals of our government is the development of the Albanian village. For many years the village was stripped of its sweat and labor and very little was returned to it. Today we are making efforts to restore to the village the dignity and support it deserves.
We are making efforts to privatize the land and hand it over to the one who works it. A person must feel like the master of his own land, because only in this way does he work with heart and think about the future of his children.
We believe that without the development of agriculture and without its modernization there can be no real progress for the country. Here in these areas, working the land has always been the basis of life and the identity of families.
I know that times are not easy. The transition has brought difficulties, but we must not lose hope. The freedom we won is greater than anything else. Freedom to think, to speak, to believe, and to work for ourselves and our children is the greatest wealth.
We will not allow this freedom to be threatened by anyone. We will defend democracy and carry forward reform with determination.
Thank you for your hospitality, your support, and your trust.
(According to the recorded tape)
Korçë, 1.6.1993