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Albanian-Greek relations hunted by paradoxes
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By: Altin Gjeta
Albania and Greece are both members of NATO, share the same democratic aspirations and cherish EU values. The two nations are closer than ever, thousands of Albanian immigrants are fully integrated in Greece, the flow of people and goods increased drastically between two countries during the last decades while Greek companies flooded Albanian marked after the fall of communist regime.
However, diplomatic bilateral relations have not always worked smoothly due to the unsettled past, stereotypes and emerging disputes. Small events on both sides of the border bare the potential of the butterfly-effect, destabilising fragile diplomatic equilibrium between the two countries. I have been following the biggest Greek papers during the past months and Albania is barely featured in the news, let it alone in opinion sections or reports. It gives one the impression that the northern neighbouring country does not exist for the Greek media.
Yet, appearance of President of Albania at an exhibition of old pictures and maps featuring Cham territories and alleged genocide over Cham population caused a stir in Greek diplomatic circles and media. Manolis Kefalogiannis, chairperson of the EU-Albania Joint Parliamentary Committee on Association and Stabilisation, and MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou reacted strongly and expressed their dissatisfaction with the exhibition. They called “a provocative act played at Presidential Palace gates where President Ilir Meta was given a tour”.[1] This was followed by a protest note of Greek Embassy in Tirana and reports from Greek media outlet “Protothema”[2]. President Meta responded publically, invoking his Constitutional responsibilities as head of state, and Vienna Convention’s regulations on diplomatic matters.
These tensions at the surface cover deep-seated realities and perceptions on the ground. A recent study carried out by Albanian Institute for International Studies, which I authored, uncovers complexities and paradoxes that hunt Albanian-Greek relations.
According to this survey, most Albanians think bilateral relations between Albania and Greece are normal across the three levels: interstate, intergovernmental and societal relations. The majority of respondents place great importance on developing relations with Greece and are optimistic bilateral relations will improve in the next five years. Albanians hold realistic views that Greece has helped Albania during the last three decades and supports its EU membership bid. The study shows that the percentage of Albanians who perceive Greece as a security threat to their country has dropped drastically (aggregated around 5%) compared to previous decades. As far as economic cooperation is concerned, most of respondents think both countries have benefited equally.
Despite this somehow rosy picture and fact that both governments hail bilateral relations as very good, unaddressed issues with historic and contemporary background such as the Cham issue, State of War decree and recent maritime dispute in the Ionian Sea seem to become source of renewed diplomatic rifts and stalemates between the two countries.
Particularly, delimitation of maritime border and exclusive economic zone in the Ionian Sea drifted Albania and Greece apart for years. In 2009 an agreement was signed on the delimitation of the maritime border in the Ionian Sea, but the Constitutional Court of Albania overruled it two years later, returning the dispute back at square one. Just recently both governments agreed to refer the dispute at the International Court of Justice in the Hogue. Ou survey showed that 60% of Albanian respondents welcome this decision, which implies that the settlement will be perceived as fair and thus remove from the working table one of the most intractable problems. Yet, contrary to widely held optimism, I think the ruling of the Court will take time. It looks more as a strategy both governments are utilising to set aside the “hot potato” as they deal with internal politics.
What is more, the State of War decree introduced during Italian-Greek war in 1940 is not abolished by the Greek parliament yet, though both counties signed a Treaty of Friendship in 1996 and are NATO allies since 2009. The “War Law” as it is known in Albania keeps inflicting distrust among the general public towards Greece, therefore if scraped, it would ease bilateral and societal relations between two nations.
More than often, it has been media, academic circles and think tankers who artificially added fuel to the fire. A comprehensive study conducted by Albanian Institute for International Studies in 2014 revealed that unprofessional and biased reporting in Albania fed old prejudice toward Greeks and Greece. Similarly, Greek media reporting is picky on Albanian and Albanians, fanning the flames of nationalist hatred. What is more worrying, research institutes and civil society organisations in Greece and Albania alike which are meant to deconstruct myths and get rid of nationalist ghosts fall pray of buried nationalists projects.
This contaminates Albanian-Greek diplomatic relations, empowers the most obscure sections of the society on both sides of the border and eventually obstructs strengthening of cooperation. It is vital both parties refrain from nationalist rhetoric, remove the remaining artificial obstacles and move forward by building bridges and mutual confidence. Freeing bilateral relations from old prejudices and paradoxes would be a good step forward.
[1] https://www.protothema.gr/politics/article/1183429/erotisi-kefalogianni-asimakopoulou-stin-komision-gia-tin-proklitiki-alvaniki-ekthesi-gia-ti-genoktonia-ton-tsamidon/
[2] https://www.protothema.gr/politics/article/1183280/edono-diavima-tis-elladas-o-alvanos-proedros-se-ekthesi-gia-tin-genoktonia-ton-tsamidon/
