Republic of Albania Ambassador in Bucharest Enkeleda Merkuri inaugurated the Lower Danube Albanian Cultural Centre on Monday, based at the 'Carol I' Braila Museum, during an event dedicated to strengthening Romanian-Albanian cultural relations and marking 100 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The event was organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Albania to Romania in collaboration with the 'Carol I' Braila Museum, under the patronage of the Albanian diplomatic mission. It brought together representatives of local public authorities, diplomats, writers, artists and cultural figures.

In her inaugural address, Albania's Ambassador in Bucharest Enkeleda Merkuri, highlighted Braila's historical significance for the Albanian community and the importance of rediscovering the cultural ties between the two peoples.

Photo: (c) ECATERINA IGNAT / AGERPRES

'Today is a very important moment for our bilateral relations and for the history of cultural exchanges between our countries. Braila holds a special place for the Albanian community. One of the oldest Albanian communities outside Albania's borders was established here. Unfortunately, some of the evidence of this history has been destroyed. We want to revitalise these historical and cultural ties. Not far from here is also a place associated with the renowned Naum Veqilharxhi, an extremely important figure for the Albanian people and for us, regarded as one of the founders of Albanian literature. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the local authorities and to the mayor for standing alongside us and sharing this wonderful moment. Thank you for your support in rediscovering and promoting our bilateral relations. I would also like to extend special thanks to Director Croitoru for his openness and for supporting the development of our cooperation under the memorandum of understanding we signed a year ago. We are therefore also celebrating one year of bilateral cooperation between the Albanian Embassy and the Carol I Braila Museum,' Ambassador Enkeleda Merkuri said.

The establishment of the Lower Danube Albanian Cultural Centre aims to promote Albanian traditions, language, literature and arts, as well as to develop cultural cooperation between Romania and Albania in a region where the Albanian community has had a significant presence over the centuries.

In turn, Costin Croitoru, director of the 'Carol I' Braila Museum, highlighted the role of the Albanian community in the city's history and explained that the opening of the centre was in keeping with the museum's efforts to showcase cultural diversity and local historical heritage.

'Braila is a city where, particularly in the period following independence from the Turks, there was a very strong Albanian community. It is no coincidence that the first chief magistrate of Braila after its liberation from Turkish administration - what we would now call the mayor - was an Albanian, one of the leading representatives of this community. It is therefore entirely natural for us to have an Albanian cultural centre here as part of our everyday work, which you know well and which is fundamentally concerned with cultural diversity,' Costin Croitoru said.

Photo: (c) ECATERINA IGNAT / AGERPRES

Dr Elsa Stavro, director of the Lower Danube Albanian Cultural Centre, spoke about the historical ties between Braila and Albania, highlighting the contribution of the city's Albanian community to the development of Albanian culture and language.

'We are extremely pleased to have had the opportunity to open this centre in a city well known for its historical relations with Albania and for the Albanian community that lived here. In Albania, Braila is much better known than Bucharest or Iasi because an important Albanian diaspora lived here and contributed greatly to the development of the Albanian alphabet. Prominent figures in our culture and history lived in Braila. There is also a statue of Veqilharxhi here, on Independence Boulevard, and we are delighted that this new centre has opened,' Elsa Stavro said.

Referring to the exhibition marking the inauguration of the Lower Danube Albanian Cultural Centre, Elsa Stavro explained that the documents and photographs on display trace the evolution of Albania's diplomatic representation in Romania, from the beginnings of official relations to the present day. They also highlight changes in the profile of diplomats across different historical periods.

'As you have seen, we inaugurated the centre with the exhibition '100 Years of Diplomacy in Images.' It begins with Albania's first diplomatic representative in Bucharest, Mr Xhemil Dino. A pattern becomes apparent: between 1920 and 1946, Albania sent its diplomatic elite to Romania. They included colonels, well-known personalities and people from the cultural world. After 1946 came diplomats from the communist period, who did not always have specialised training. This situation continued until 1956. Later, in the geopolitical context of Eastern Europe, Romania remained a good friend of Albania, and this was reflected in bilateral relations between our countries. Following the political changes, we returned to a diplomatic tradition represented by intellectuals, people who had studied in Bucharest, writers and career diplomats. As we mark 100 years of bilateral relations, we also have Albania's first female ambassador to Romania, Ms Merkuri,' Elsa Stavro explained.

Asked about her personal connection with Romania and plans to develop the centre, Elsa Stavro, who is originally from Albania and has lived in Galati for more than a decade, said she felt a strong attachment to the Lower Danube region. She also intends to extend the centre's cultural activities to Tulcea, another city with a significant historical Albanian community.

'I am a Galati local! I really love the Lower Danube region, and Braila is part of it. We are thinking of expanding our activities to Tulcea as well, because there was also a wonderful Albanian settlement there. I love everything about Romania very much,' Elsa Stavro told AGERPRES.

One of the main highlights of the event was the launch of the bilingual volume 'Albania in Romania, 1926-2026: 100 Years of Diplomacy in 100 Images,' co-authored by Dr Costin Croitoru, director of the 'Carol I' Braila Museum, and Dr Elsa Stavro, director of the Lower Danube Albanian Cultural Centre.

Published in 2026 by Istros Publishing House, the book marks the centenary of diplomatic relations between Romania and Albania and brings together 100 images illustrating key moments and personalities in the history of bilateral relations.

The exhibition 'Albania in Romania, 1926-2026: 100 Years of Diplomacy in 100 Images,' curated by Fatme Nistoroi, was also opened on the occasion. It offers an insight into the history of Romanian-Albanian diplomatic relations, showcasing documents and images that illustrate the development of ties between the two countries.

The inauguration programme also included a cultural performance by pupils from the light music singing class at the 'Dunarea de Jos' School of Arts, led by teacher Emilia Savu.

A round-table discussion entitled 'Between Tradition and Modernity' was also held, bringing together participants from Romania and Albania to discuss the preservation of traditions, cultural identity and dialogue between the two communities.

The event also featured a presentation of Albanian cuisine, giving participants the opportunity to discover traditional dishes such as burek and baklava.

The inauguration of the Lower Danube Albanian Cultural Centre took place as part of Albanian European Week and preceded events marking Albania's National Day, which form part of the 'Albanian November 2026' programme.

According to the organisers, the new centre aims to become a regional hub for promoting Albanian cultural heritage and developing joint projects in history, literature, art and education, thereby strengthening ties between communities in Romania and Albania. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Ecaterina Ignat; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)