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 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. 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.[ citation needed ]
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] 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.[ citation needed ]
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.[ citation needed ]
After World War II, both countries intensified relations by being part of the Eastern Bloc and they were founding members of the Warsaw Pact, which was a collective defence treaty established by the Soviet Union and its satellite states, including both Albania and Czechoslovakia. [9] In 1961, bilateral relations were degraded at the level of Charge d'Affaires. [10]
The multi-national Communist armed forces' sole joint action was the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968. All member countries, with the exception of the People's Republic of Albania and the Socialist Republic of Romania participated in the invasion. Albania formally withdrew form the Warsaw Pact in 1968 over the matter. [11]
The Balkan Wars were 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 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 as a prelude to the First World War.
The Balkans, corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the whole of Bulgaria. The Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea in the northwest, the Ionian Sea in the southwest, the Aegean Sea in the south, the Turkish straits in the east, and the Black Sea in the northeast. The northern border of the peninsula is variously defined. The highest point of the Balkans is Musala, 2,925 metres (9,596 ft), in the Rila mountain range, Bulgaria.
The Enchele's polity was the earliest to emerge and centered in Albania. Also the earliest known Illyrian king, Bardylis, emerged in what is now Albania around 400 BC, aiming to make Illyria a regional power interfering with Macedon. He united many southern Illyrian tribes under his realm and defeated the Macedonians and Molossians several times, expanding his dominion over Upper Macedonia and Lynkestis. Before the Rise of Macedon Illyrians were the dominant power in the region. The kingdom of the Taulantii under Glaukias' rule was based in central Albania and dominated southern Illyrian affairs in the late 4th century BC, exerting great influence on the Epirote state through the close ties with the Molossian king Pyrrhus. Under the Ardiaei the greatest known Illyrian kingdom emerged in the 3rd century BC encompassing also northern Albania in its core territory. It became a formidable power both on land and sea by assembling a great army and fleet, and directly ruling over a large area made up of different Illyrian tribes and cities that stretched from the Neretva River in the north to the borders of Epirus in the south, while its influence extended throughout Epirus and down into Acarnania. The dominant power of the Illyrian kingdom in the region ceased after the Illyrian defeat in the Illyro-Roman Wars. The last known "King of the Illyrians" was Gentius, of the Labeatae tribe.
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 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.
In late 19th and throughout the 20th century, the establishment of a Balkan Federation had been a recurrent suggestion of various political factions in the Balkans. The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century among left-wing political forces in the region. The central aim was to establish a new political unity: a common federal republic unifying the Balkan Peninsula on the basis of internationalism, socialism, social solidarity, and economic equality. The underlying vision was that, despite differences among the region's ethnic groups, the historical need for emancipation was a common basis for unification.
The Principality of Albania was a monarchy from 1914 to 1925. It was headed by Wilhelm, Prince of Albania, and located in modern Albania in the Balkan region of Europe. The Ottoman Empire owned the land until the First Balkan War (1912—1913), which ended in the Treaty of London that formed the principality. The Principality of Albania survived invasions during World War I (1914—1918) and subsequent disputes over Albanian independence during the Paris Peace Conference (1919—1920). In 1925, the monarchy was abolished and the Albanian Republic (1925—1928), a parliamentary republic and dictatorship, was declared.
Albanian nationalism is a general grouping of nationalist ideas and concepts generated by ethnic Albanians that were first formed in the 19th century during the Albanian National Awakening. Albanian nationalism is also associated with similar concepts, such as Albanianism ("Shqiptaria") and Pan-Albanianism, that includes ideas on the creation of a geographically expanded Albanian state or a Greater Albania encompassing adjacent Balkan lands with substantial Albanian populations.
Russia–Serbia relations are the bilateral foreign relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Serbia. The countries established official diplomatic relations as the Russian Empire and Principality of Serbia in 1816. Russia has an honorary consulate and embassy in Belgrade, and a liaison office to UNMIK, the capital of the disputed territory of Kosovo. Serbia has an embassy in Moscow, an honorary consulate in St. Petersburg and has announced to open a consulate-general in Yekaterinburg.
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 (~50%), 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 bilateral relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Turkey. Kosovo has an embassy in Ankara, whereas Turkey has an embassy in Pristina. Both nations are predominantly Muslim, have close cultural and military ties, and both have sought to join the European Union.
Relations between Albania and Serbia have been complex and largely unfriendly due to a number of historical and political events.
The Albanian Vilayet was a projected vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in the western Balkan Peninsula, which was to include the four Ottoman vilayets with substantial ethnic Albanian populations: Kosovo Vilayet, Scutari Vilayet, Manastir Vilayet, and Janina Vilayet. In some proposals, it included the Salonica Vilayet as well. The creation of the Vilayet was confirmed in September 1912, but negotiations were interrupted a month later in October by the beginning of the First Balkan War. Plans for an Albanian Vilayet were lost with the Partition of Albania.
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.
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