October 1, 2018 | Monday
European Day of Languages / EUICC
Embassies of different EU Member States in Kosovo celebrated the European Day of Languages on 26 September by coming together at the EUICC in Pristina and presenting their culture, language, traditions, music and academic opportunities.
“There were probably more than 200 people here today, everyone very much interested in the culture, language but also with questions about Slovenia. We also met some older people who know the Slovenian language and can understand it”, said a representative of the Slovenian Embassy in Kosovo.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to reach out for the citizens, to be closer to them and to communicate through culture, languages and music. I very frequently meet people in Kosovo who have been to Sweden, and there is a great diaspora of Kosovo Albanians living in Sweden”, said Jenny Akeson from the Embassy of Sweden.
The Embassy of Finland, for example, joined in the European Day of Languages celebrations by promoting the Finnish language and culture and showcasing Finnish design through products from design brands Marimekko and Iittala and delicious Finnish chocolate from Fazer.
The Italian Embassy brought books, among which was a novel written by the famous writer and journalist Italo Calvino. Finnish, French, German, Serbo-Croatian and Swedish songs were also played in the open air during the event.
The European Day of Languages is celebrated on 26 September each year, as proclaimed by the Council of Europe. With greater numbers of immigrants and refugees, European cities have become more multilingual. For example, in Moscow and Saint Petersburg many recent immigrants speak Ukrainian, Romanian, Armenian, Chinese or Tatar. In London on the other hand, some 300 languages are spoken, including Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese.