Albania | Hungary |
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Albania has an embassy in Budapest and Hungary has an embassy and a consular office in Tirana. The history of diplomatic relations of Albania and Hungary dates back to 1912, when Albania declared its independence on November 28, 1912.
The countries are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. As a European Union (EU) member, Hungary supports Albania in its euro-integration path. [1] [2]
Both countries experienced Ottoman rule and in some cases rebelled against it, historically including the alliance between John Hunyadi and Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg.[ citation needed ] In the Great Turkish War, Albanian Catholic leaders Pjetër Bogdani and Toma Raspasani rallied Kosovo Albanian Catholics and Muslims to the pro-Austrian cause. [3] After the Great Turkish War, Hungary was absorbed into the Hapsburg domain, while Albanian inhabited regions remained part of the Ottoman Empire and experienced a period of economic and societal breakdown, which saw large numbers of Catholics from Kosovo flee to north to arrive in Budapest, [3] [4] and the widespread Islamization due to extremely steep increases in the poll tax by Ottoman authorities as well as instances of forced conversion. [4] [5] [6] [7] Albanian Catholicism survived in the mountainous Northwest of Albania with significant aid from Austro-Hungarian clerics. Austro-Hungarian funded Catholic schools were the only schools where Albanians were able to study in their native language during Ottoman rule, and as a result many of their students would contribute to the emergence of Albanian nationalism, as did some Hungarian intellectuals such as Franz Nopcsa.
Austria-Hungary was a key proponent of Albanian independence and opposed attempts by Slavic nations to dominate Albanian lands. Austro-Hungarian diplomatic assistance was critical for the expulsion of the Serbian and Montenegrin armies from Durrës and Shkodër in 1912, during the First Balkan War. [8] [ citation needed ] After Albanian independence, King Zog married a Hungarian woman, Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony. In the early 20th century, Albania and Hungary shared a situation where large numbers of Albanians and Hungarians resided outside of their respective new borders, and both saw the rise of irredentist movements that aimed to create Greater Hungary and Greater Albania, but were obstructed by the relative strength of surrounding countries. During World War II, both countries came under the control of Axis-allied regimes, followed by the domination of Communist parties allied to Moscow. Albanian-Hungarian relations came to a halt after the Soviet-Albanian split, but were resuscitated after the fall of Communism.
The Balkan Wars were a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defeated it, in the process stripping the Ottomans of their European provinces, leaving only Eastern Thrace under Ottoman control. In the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria fought against the other four original combatants of the first war. It also faced an attack from Romania from the north. The Ottoman Empire lost the bulk of its territory in Europe. Although not involved as a combatant, Austria-Hungary became relatively weaker as a much enlarged Serbia pushed for union of the South Slavic peoples. The war set the stage for the July crisis of 1914 and thus served as a prelude to the First World War.
The foreign relations of Albania are its relations with other governments and peoples. Foreign relations are conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tirana. The current minister is Igli Hasani. The current Ambassador to the United Nations is Ferit Hoxha.
The League of the Balkans was a quadruple alliance formed by a series of bilateral treaties concluded in 1912 between the Eastern Orthodox kingdoms of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and directed against the Ottoman Empire, which at the time still controlled much of Southeastern Europe.
Greater Albania is an irredentist and nationalist concept that seeks to unify the lands that many Albanians consider to form their national homeland. It is based on claims on the present-day or historical presence of Albanian populations in those areas. In addition to the existing Albania, the term incorporates claims to regions in the neighbouring states, the areas include Kosovo, the Preševo Valley of Serbia, territories in southern Montenegro, northwestern Greece, and a western part of North Macedonia.
The Balkans and parts of this area may also be placed in Southeastern, Southern, Eastern Europe and Central Europe. The distinct identity and fragmentation of the Balkans owes much to its common and often turbulent history regarding centuries of Ottoman conquest and to its very mountainous geography.
The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynasty. The Principality, under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, de facto achieved full independence when the very last Ottoman troops left Belgrade in 1867. The Congress of Berlin in 1878 recognized the formal independence of the Principality of Serbia, and in its composition Nišava, Pirot, Toplica and Vranje districts entered the South part of Serbia.
Foreign relations of Serbia are accomplished by efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Serbia has inherited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with all of its holdings, after the dissolution of the previous state union with Montenegro. Serbian foreign ministries continue to serve citizens of Montenegro in countries that do not have Montenegrin diplomatic presence. The governments of Serbia and Montenegro expressed an interest in pursuing a common foreign policy. Former President of Serbia Boris Tadić referred to relations with the European Union (EU), Russia, United States and China as the four pillars of foreign policy. Serbia joined the United Nations on 1 November 2000.
The Principality of Albania was a short-lived monarchy in Albania, headed by Wilhelm, Prince of Albania, that lasted from the Treaty of London of 1913 which ended the First Balkan War, through the invasions of Albania during World War I and the subsequent disputes over Albanian independence during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, until 1925, when the monarchy was abolished and the Albanian Republic declared.
Albania–Greece relations are diplomatic relations between Albania and Greece. They are influenced by factors such as the presence of Albanian immigrants in Greece, the Greek minority in Albania, historical and cultural ties, and interactions between the governments of both countries.
The establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and the Soviet Union happened on April 7, 1924. Both countries were also allies in the Warsaw Pact. Albania has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Tirana.
Albania and Turkey have close foreign relations. Albania has an embassy in Ankara and a general consulate in Istanbul. Turkey has an embassy in Tirana. The most widespread religion in Albania is Islam (~59%), also in Turkey (~90%). Both are part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). Turkey and Albania are candidates for accession in the European Union (EU).
Kosovo–Turkey relations are the historic and current relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Turkey. Kosovo has an embassy in Ankara and Turkey has an embassy in Prishtina. Both nations are predominantly Muslim and have sought to join the EU.
Albania–Kosovo relations refer to the current, cultural and historical relations of Albania and Kosovo. Albania has an embassy in Pristina and Kosovo has an embassy in Tirana. There are 1.8 million Albanians living in Kosovo – officially 92.93% of Kosovo's entire population – and Albanian is an official language and the national language of Kosovo. Likewise, the peoples of the two countries have practically identical traditions and folklore. Kosovo is the birthplace of Albanian nationalism such as the League of Prizren. In addition, the strong relations are highlighted in successive polls showing majority of ethnic Albanians in both states wanting unification. Both countries and their citizens refer to the relationship as "one nation, two states" as highlighted in the popular pan-Albanian slogan "Jemi një".
Serbia-Spain relations are foreign relations between Serbia and Spain. Both countries established diplomatic relations on October 14, 1916. Serbia has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has an embassy in Belgrade. Both countries are member states of the UN, Interpol, COE and OSCE. Spain is member state of the EU since 1986 and Serbia is a candidate country since 2012 negotiating its future membership which Spain is strongly supporting. In relation to third parties, both countries supported position of Argentina in its Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom in the past.
Relations between Albania and Serbia have been complex and largely unfriendly due to a number of historical and political events.
Independent Albania was a parliamentary state declared in Vlorë on 28 November 1912 during the First Balkan War. Its assembly was constituted on the same day while its government and senate were established on 5 December 1912.
Albania has an embassy in Bucharest and Romania an embassy in Tirana and a consulate in Korçë. On 16 December 2013, a celebration was held in Romania celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Albania and France are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Albania is an EU candidate and France is also an EU member.
Kosovo is the birthplace of the Albanian nationalist movement which emerged as a response to the Eastern Crisis of 1878. In the immediate aftermath of the Russo-Ottoman war, the Congress of Berlin proposed partitioning Ottoman Albanian inhabited lands in the Balkans among neighbouring countries. The League of Prizren was formed by Albanians to resist those impositions. For Albanians those events have made Kosovo an important place regarding the emergence of Albanian nationalism. During the remainder of the late Ottoman period various disagreements between Albanian nationalists and the Ottoman Empire over socio-cultural rights culminated in two revolts within Kosovo and adjacent areas. The Balkan Wars (1912–13) ending with Ottoman defeat, Serbian and later Yugoslav sovereignty over the area generated an Albanian nationalism that has become distinct to Kosovo stressing Albanian language, culture, and identity within the context of secession from Serbia. Pan-Albanian sentiments are also present and historically have been achieved only once when part of Kosovo was united by Italian Axis forces to their protectorate of Albania during the Second World War.
Albania–Poland relations are diplomatic relations between the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Poland. Poland was the first Slavic nation to recognize Kosovo as an independent entity, however the relationship between the two nations is lower than usual. Nonetheless, the two countries have been working closer since the fall of communism at 1989 and there has been strong renewal of relationship between two nations.