Woodrow Wilson’s statue in Tirana

The statue was uncovered after bands played the Albanian and US hymns, in presence of the Albanian Prime Minister, Sali Berisha; the US Ambassador to Tirana, Alexander Arvizu; the Minister of Culture, Aldo Bumci; the Mayor of Tirana, Lulzim Basha; other Ministers of the Government; the creator of the statue, Gentan Tabaku and citizens who gathered for the occasion.

Prime Minister Berisha expressed his gratitude to all US presidents who have influenced in Albania’s and Kosovo’s issues, and also President Wilson, one of the most important people who contributed in preserving the borders of independent Albania.

“Today we inaugurate the statue of President Wilson, the US President that saved independent Albania, which Albania considered a big tree on which small nations have built their nests of freedom”, Berisha declared.

US Ambassador, Alexander Arvizu, thanked the Albanians for preserving the memory of President Wilson and quoted a part of his speech at the US Congress in 1918, a speech that defined the shape of future international community.

“It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression.  All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us.  The program of the world’s peace, therefore, is our program”, Arvizu quoted.

Arvizu ended his speech by reiterating the words of the US State Secretary, Hillary Clinton, during her visit in Tirana, saying that the USA has been close to the Albanians during the last 100 years, and they will keep supporting Albania for the next 100 years and beyond that.

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