Erion Veliaj was sworn in as mayor of Tirana in a ceremony on the terrace of the municipality.
He said that he extends a hand of cooperation to the opposition, welcoming the return of opposition members to the capital's Municipal Council.
"I have this extended hand of cooperation mainly for my opposition colleagues. It is extraordinary news that they have returned to representing the city. It is the largest city not only in Albania and Albanianness, but according to INSTAT, the only city that continues to grow. I saw the latest statistics. Durrës is in the same figures, but Tirana continues to grow. This means that a table, a decision-making, a ballot box left blank in Tirana has even more impact, so it is very necessary for all of us to be represented. There are at least 9 groups or 10 parties, that some are coalitions is a reminder for us, that we need to listen 10 times more, measure ourselves 10 times more, work 10 times harder. Our success is also their success." - said Veliaj.
Veliaj said that Tirana belongs to everyone. He emphasized that Tirana is the only city in the country that continues to grow and that there is an excellent relationship between the municipality and the government.
"Today, Tirana is not only the home of Albanians. From now on, we must speak from a Tirana that, unlike when we were growing up, today you cannot enter or leave Tirana without seeing groups of tourists. I want Tirana to belong to everyone. We can all do more together. We have a team that puts Tirana first. Tirana the only city in the country that continues to grow. We have an excellent relationship between the municipality and the government. Tirana is better thanks to everyone's contribution." – Veliaj said. Veliaj was declared the winner in the May 14, 2023 elections, where he faced the candidate of the 'Together We Win' coalition, Belind Këlliçi.
