MISIONI I PËRHERSHËM I REPUBLIKËS SË SHQIPËRISË GJENEVË PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA GENEVA Madam President*, Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Chair of the Third Session of the Forum on Minority Issues. Secondly, I would like to highlight the fact that the Constitution of Albania considers the national and linguistic minorities living in our country as an integral and important part of the Albanian society, guaranteeing them all their rights. Rights of the minorities are also safeguarded and protected by the Penal Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, the Labour Code, as well as the laws defining the framework of the pre-university educational system. In order to make sure that these rights are a concrete reality of the everyday life of Albanian citizens belonging to national or linguistic minorities, a State Committee for Minorities was created in 2004. It is an advisory body to the Albanian Government and other national, regional and local institutions. The Committee gathers representatives from all national and linguistic minorities, it elaborates and proposes measures and programmes concerning economic development, social policies and education. It assists in elaborating the best solutions to all problems affecting minorities in Albania directly or indirectly. For sure, much remains to be done, but the Albanian Government has already implemented legislative, legal and administrative frames. Further, we allocate the financial resources necessary to implement projects that aim at fostering and strengthening the participation of minorities in the political, economic and social life of our country, as well as to combat any form of discrimination on a daily basis. Thank you Ms Chair.