Greek foreign policy towards Kosovo and the region – implications for the Albanian-Greek relations

By Dr. Ledion Krisafi – Senior AIIS researcher Introduction Kosovo’s February 2008 declaration of independence was confronted with different reactions by different countries of the Balkans and the Southeastern Europe in general. These reactions depended on different factors. Geopolitical calculations, historical and religious ties between Serbia and the other countries or Kosovo and the other countries, determined the acceptance or not of Kosovo’s independence. The Greek reaction towards Kosovo’s independence has been a mix of geopolitical calculations and historical and religious ties with Serbia. But, the Greek initial reaction, in the day after the declaration of independence, was neutral. It…