On November 28, 2016, at Hotel Hilton Park Lane, the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in London organized an official reception to celebrate the November 28, 29, and December 4 – respectively the Independence (National) Day of Albania, the Liberation Day and the Creation of the Armed Forces Day.
The reception was attended by several members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons of the British Parliament, Chief of Defence Staff , Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, FCO officials and prominent activists of the Albanian community in UK.
The ceremony was opened by the Ambassador Qirjako Qirko, who inter alia, said " It is an honor and a privilege for me to share with you the festivities of two very important dates for the Albanian people; the 28th of November 1912 and the 29th of November 1944, respectively the 104th anniversary of Independence and the 72nd year of liberation from the Nazi occupation. What associates these two dates to one another, is the collective will of the Albanian founding fathers first and the freedom fighters thereafter, for an independent, democratic and European Albania. In the last 25 years, these wills that could only be considered dreams before, are shaping into reality”.
Later, referring to our country's policy in the region, it was stressed that Albania as a NATO member and EU candidate is giving its active contribution to all countries of the Western Balkans and “It is our sincere hope that all of the Western Balkan countries be part of the Euro Atlantic family.”
The event was attended by over 200 participants, who expressed their congratulations regarding its conception and organization.