TIRANA, Feb.18 – Albania and Greece are in negotiations to abolish the state of war that technically exists between the two countries since the late 40s, a foreign ministry official told the Committee on Foreign Affairs this week.
The General Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Qirjako Qirko said that both sides have expressed commitment to resolve any past issues that carry negative consequences in bilateral relations during the parliamentary foreign committee meeting. “The most sensitive issue in this aspect is the outdated state of war law, the scrapping of which would release positive energies in bilateral relations, a detachment from old prejudices that keep alive nationalist causes,” said Qirko before the Foreign Committee.
Qirko added that “there are no longer any taboos in bilateral discussions and the Greek side is aware of the need to abolish this absurd law.”
The anachronistic law passed by Greece in 1940 is legally in force since the Greek parliament has never abolished it. The law is also seen as responsible for the sequestration of properties of the Cham minority, ethnic Albanians who lived in northern Greece and were forcibly expelled from their lands at the end of World War II accused of collaboration with the Nazi occupiers. The abolishment of wartime legislation is considered as a first step for the Chams to claim back their confiscated property.
Several previous Albanian governments have asked Greek authorities to remove the law, efforts which so far have failed.
