Ambassador Haidari Congratulates Albanian Prime Minister on AISS Avicenna Award for Promoting Peace and Embracing Afghan Refugees
By Staff Writer
London, June 27, 2025 — Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, Founder and President of Displaced International (DI), warmly congratulated Albanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Uran Ferizi, following the presentation of the prestigious sixth Avicenna International Award for Intercultural Cooperation for Peace to His Excellency Edi Rama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania.
The award—presented at a ceremony hosted by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) at St. John the Baptist Church in London—recognizes Prime Minister Rama’s exceptional leadership in advancing intercultural and interfaith understanding, and notably, his unwavering humanitarian support for Afghans displaced following the fall of the Islamic Republic in August 2021.
In the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover, Albania acted swiftly and compassionately, opening its doors to thousands of vulnerable Afghans fleeing reprisals, many of whom faced well-founded fears of persecution. The Albanian government provided safe temporary shelter and supported their onward resettlement to countries such as the United States and Canada.
Ambassador Haidari, accompanied by DI Senior Fellow Naveed Noormal, attended the ceremony and hailed the award as “a rightful tribute to a statesman whose actions speak louder than words.”
“Prime Minister Rama’s moral courage and humanitarian vision will be remembered for generations,” said Haidari. “At a time when many turned away, Albania stood tall and embraced those who had lost everything. This award foremost recognizes his enduring commitment to protecting those fleeing persecution, and we thank him—on behalf of the displaced—for reminding the world what solidarity truly means.”
The evening featured inspiring speeches, live music, a documentary screening, and a celebration of Afghan and Albanian cultures—a fitting reflection of the spirit of intercultural cooperation the Avicenna Award represents.
A long-time partner of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies and a senior fellow at AISS, Ambassador Haidari also extended sincere gratitude to Dr. Davood Moradian, Director-General of the Institute, for his steadfast leadership in advancing scholarship, dialogue, and global recognition of those advocating for Afghan rights—especially in the context of peacebuilding, forced displacement, and human rights protection.
He further emphasized Ambassador Ferizi’s strong advocacy for Albania’s principled refugee policies, deeply shaped by his own lived experience as a refugee. When Ambassador Haidari learned that Ferizi had once arrived in the UK as an undocumented 17-year-old asylum seeker, after a harrowing journey across Europe hidden in lorries and boats, he said he was deeply impressed by the ambassador’s humility and courage in publicly sharing his story.
“It is rare and inspiring to see a diplomat speak so openly about his journey from displacement to high office,” Haidari noted. “We look forward to working closely with Ambassador Ferizi and his counterpart in Washington, D.C., to strengthen global solidarity with displaced populations and advance principled, compassionate refugee policies.”
He reaffirmed Displaced International’s enduring commitment to defending the rights and dignity of refugees and other forcibly displaced communities worldwide.
