The relationship between Albania and Greece is fraught once again. The latest installments are the squabbles over the developments in Himara, where some houses are planned to be evicted and demolished to make way for the urban development plan, houses belonging to owners from the Greek minority in Albania. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has immediately raised the issue of the protest of the owners while the Albanian government has decried this as an uninformed and even ill-willed intervention. While there is no doubt that the Himara houses issue should be solved within the realm of rule of law in Albania and local power authority in Himara itself it is worthy to examine the reasons behind this very tense and nervous relationship between Tirana and Athens. Had this entire relation been different and more positive, it is not wrong to assume that the reaction towards Himara houses could also have been more contained.
The relation between the two countries suffers under the weight of old issues and under the new plight of political calculations on both sides of the border that are done for domestic audiences, upcoming elections and fall in line with old confrontational rhetoric. In Albania there is a tendency to make a myth out of the Cham question and even more problematically call this “the national issue.” In the frenzy of this new nationalistic terms all the discussion revolves around whether someone mentioned or failed to mention the Cham issue, over the ability of officials to bring up the Cham issue, rather than with the content of the issue itself. This discussion is being fuelled clearly by a party which is testing and being tested for electoral purposes. Talking about the Cham issue in 2016 with the same terminology and pathos as in 1912 is at least illogical.
Among some of the Albanians political elite there seems to be an infantile misconception about the position of Greece as a country so enfeebled by the financial crisis is ripe for some messing up. This position is misguided at best and quite dangerous in other terms. On the other side the official diplomacy of the Albanian government also does not demonstrate the necessary capabilities of protecting this strategic neighborly relation especially when one considers their amateur retaliatory moves made often in haste. Facebook posts from high level officials that cast a wide populist net over the audience with dubious historical references are then the cherry on the cake.
Several major issues remain at the negotiating table and need to be addressed in earnest, without attempt at denial and delay. First of all Albania and Greece still need a final deal on their maritime borders, a deal that respect the international law and norms to the full extent. The Greek parliament did not ratify the agreement of the Berisha government after the constitutional court stoke it down, signaling a degree of respect for the situation and leaving aside some real space for negotiation. The narrative of ‘traitors selling territories’ has run its course and should be left aside.
All the old predicaments that override the discussion today are becoming calcified obstacles that hamper collaboration for issues of much more practical relevance. Albania and Greece have countless issues that need agreements given the very high number of Albanians that live and work there starting with the issue of recognizing this contribution through a necessary deal on pensions. Overall Albania and Greece need to start a new, deep and multifaceted relationship as two key countries that look forward to sharing a European future together.
It is certain that Greece carries its part of the responsibility, its old fashioned and unfortunate rhetoric about alleged minorities’ discrimination, political attempts at use of religion, soldiers graveyards etc. On the most visible front, the issue of the ‘state of war’ also needs a final solution. Two countries which are NATO member states cannot afford to have this situation even if it is only an outdated symbolical thing. Here Greece has to muster the strength to do the right thing and get rid of this problematic worthless remnant of the past. However the Albanian side also needs to show much more seriousness and at the face of rising problems, bound to occur between neighbors be cool headed and separate the real issues from the smoke and mirrors. The way the debate over the relations is being done at the present is of great harm to the strategically important relation with the southern borders at a time when the perspective of EU negotiations looms in the distance. The predicaments between Albania and Greece damage both countries but let’s be sure to remember: not in equal measure!
