VIDEO: Albanian President Bujar Nishani speaks at JUF on September 27, 2016.

Chicago Jews and Albanian-Americans gathered to greet Albanian President Bujar Nishani at JUF on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

The president emphasized Albanians’ affinity for the principles of respect, coexistence and shared common values despite a nearly half-century dictatorial regime that sought to vilify the United States, Israel and the Western world. Ultimately, the regime was toppled in 1991.

“There’s a special relationship between Albanians and the Jewish community,” Nishani said. “Our communities can work together to protect, preserve and promote our common values.”

Albania stands out in history as the only European country whose Jewish population was larger at the end of World War II than at its beginning. The majority Muslim population of Albania protected the native Jewish population of 200 and the nearly 2,000 Jews from elsewhere who saw Albania as a safe haven.

Located to the south of Serbia and Montenegro and to the east of Macedonia and Greece, Albania remains a “mystery to most people, even speaking about the Balkans as a whole,” Nishani said. During his remarks, he highlighted Albania’s tourism industry, close partnership with other NATO members, and economic opportunities in the energy and water sectors.

The meeting was a joint effort between JUF’s Jewish Community Relations Council and the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce. JUF Assistant Vice President for International Affairs Steven Dishler gave the president a copy of the Centennial Book, which commemorates the first 100 years since the founding of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago; Michael Schmidt from the Israel Chamber of Commerce presented him with a pair of cufflinks featuring an eagle and a Star of David.

In return, Nishani gifted the community a book celebrating Albania’s ancient history through photos of archaeological discoveries as well as a pair of cufflinks featuring the national symbol of Albania, a two-headed eagle.