Albania’s and Kosovo’s ambassadors to Croatia visit NSK

This week, the Director General of the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) Dr Ivanka Stričević received visits from the members of the diplomatic missions of Albania and Kosovo to Croatia.

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Albania to the Republic of Croatia Her Excellency Donika Hoxha and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kosovo to the Republic of Croatia His Excellency Martin Berishaj visited the Library on 21 and 22 October, respectively.

Croatian-Albanian cultural relations and their national libraries’ cooperation

Present at the meeting of Ambassador Hoxha, who came accompanied by the Minister Counsellor at the Albanian embassy Alma Kasa, and Dr Ivanka Stričević were also the NSK Assistant Director General for National Library Affairs Dr Sofija Klarin Zadravec, Head of the NSK Marketing, Public Relations and Publishing Division Maja Priselac and NSK Senior Public Relations Adviser Ivana Mirošević.

The meeting participants discussed the Croatian-Albanian cultural relations and current cooperation between NSK and the National Library of Albania as part of which in May the two libraries signed a five-year cooperation agreement.

Presenting NSK’s mission, Dr Stričević placed particular emphasis on its role both as the national library and the main library of the University of Zagreb and pointed out the Library’s frequent cooperation with other countries through their embassies in Croatia on the promotion of the European and global cultural heritage.

Ambassador Hoxha presented Albania’s culture-focused and development projects, singling out a major project for the construction of the Albanian national library’s new building, in Tirana, and the plans for it to bring together tradition and innovation. Also, emphasising the significant impact that culture and education have on the development and stability of every country, Ambassador Hoxha underscored libraries as institutions with a noble task of guarding national identities and passing on knowledge to new generations.

Stronger cooperation in the spirit of shared cultural values

At his meeting with Dr Stričević, Ambassador Berishaj, who was accompanied by the executive secretary at the embassy Magdalena Lekaj, also met with the NSK Library Adviser for International Cooperation Jagoda Ille and adviser Mirošević.

The meeting participants discussed the cultural cooperation between Croatia and Kosovo, including the relations between NSK and the National Library of Kosovo. Presenting NSK’s work, Dr Stričević focused on the diversity of its roles, the Library’s different functions and the challenges it faces, in which context she gave details of NSK’s successful cooperation with other European libraries. In a debate about the opportunities for broadening the cultural cooperation between Kosovo and Croatia, Ambassador Berishaj expressed his wish for Kosovo’s adoption of good practices which he has so far witnessed in Croatia, such as those of NSK, among which he particularly singled out the Library’s digitisation programme.

During both visits, gifts were exchanged as tokens of appreciation and friendship, with the conclusion that cooperation between the countries through their national libraries and embassies may greatly contribute to the strengthening of their good relations and culture- and heritage-focused cooperation.