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 Albania |  Palestine |
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Albania and Palestine established diplomatic relations in 1990. Albania had already recognized Palestine as a state since 1988.[ citation needed ] Palestine has an embassy in Tirana, but Albania does not have an embassy in Palestine. [1] Both are member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania saw parallels between the situation in Palestine and its own circumstances. Both were small entities facing threats from hostile powers and surrounded by unfriendly neighbors. The attainment of independence for both Albania and Palestine, in the eyes of Albania, depended on a strategy of complete mobilization and a commitment to popular war. [2]
In July 1970, Tirana received a Fatah delegation headed by Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir, known as Abu Jihad after which Tirana agreed to the opening of a PLO representative office in Albania. Al-Wazir was welcomed by the Minister of Defense Beqir Balluku, Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, and First Secretary of the PLA Hoxha. [2]
After it emerged that the September 1972 attack at the Munich Olympics was enacted by Black September, a group close to Fatah, Albania suspended ongoing military training of Palestinian fighters; thirty of whom had undergone a six-month training period in Albania in 1971. Albania aimed to avoid any association with or accusations of being a Communist country that endorsed terrorism. [2] The PLO-Albania relationship faced additional strain due to the expulsion of Palestinian students studying in Tirana. In 1971, eleven Palestinians were admitted to the University of Tirana to strengthen bilateral ties. Despite the intention for them to study and learn from Albania's socialist model, the Palestinian students struggled to adapt to the socialist lifestyle. State security agency Sigurimi reported their dissatisfaction with the country, praising the Soviet Union, highlighting a discord between PLO and Albania positions. Some engaged in illegal activities such smuggling of goods, leading to arrests on charges of conspiracy, espionage, and "terrorist attitudes," ultimately resulting in their expulsion. [2]
Although the PLO sought Albania's support, especially in the establishment of a representative office, the Albanian Communist regime, while maintaining a public display of backing for the PLO, privately refrained from further engagement, particularly concerning military aid. The PLO's pivot toward the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries post the 1973 war heightened the Albanian regime's skepticism, leading it to view the PLO more as a pawn of the Soviets than a genuinely revolutionary entity. [2]
Despite the PLO's left-wing credentials, Albania chose not to extend its support, considering Fatah's nationalist umbrella, despite ideological shortcomings, as a unifying force within the Palestinian national movement. The Albanian Communist regime's decision may seem paradoxical, but it was a deliberate choice rooted in the belief that Fatah, with its organizational strength, provided a genuine platform for the unity of diverse ideological groups within the Palestinian context. [2]
In spite of the PLO's support of US-led peace initiatives in 1982 after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Albania refused to endorse dissident elements of the PLO. In 1987, the onset of the First Intifada in Gaza was met with approval from Albanian authorities. They commended the uprising for its authenticity as a grassroots movement that had managed to steer clear of the influence of the United States and the USSR. [2]
After the proclamation of the Palestinian Independence, Albania officially recognized the Palestinian State in 1988 and in 1989 the Embassy of the State of Palestine, with full diplomatic representation, was officially opened in Albania. With the opening of the Embassy, the relations between Albania and Palestine further enhanced by the visit of then Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at the end of 1996.[ citation needed ]
In March 1998, Prime Minister Fatos Nano visited Gaza City for a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. [3]
Albania was one of the 41 countries that abstained in the voting for the application of Palestine for non-member observer state of the United Nations on 29 November 2012.
In 2015, Albania was one of the 119 UN-member countries (out of 193) that voted in favor of raising the Palestinian flag at the UN.[ citation needed ]
Fatah, formerly the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, is a Palestinian nationalist and social democratic political party. It is the largest faction of the confederated multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the second-largest party in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, is the chairman of Fatah.
The Palestinian National Authority, commonly known as the Palestinian Authority and officially the State of Palestine, is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over West Bank areas "A" and "B" as a consequence of the 1993–1995 Oslo Accords. The Palestinian Authority controlled the Gaza Strip prior to the Palestinian elections of 2006 and the subsequent Gaza conflict between the Fatah and Hamas parties, when it lost control to Hamas; the PA continues to claim the Gaza Strip, although Hamas exercises de facto control. Since January 2013, the Palestinian Authority has used the name "State of Palestine" on official documents, although the United Nations continues to recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as the "representative of the Palestinian people".
The Palestine Liberation Organization is a Palestinian nationalist coalition that is internationally recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people. Founded in 1964, it initially sought to establish an Arab state over the entire territory of the former Mandatory Palestine, advocating the elimination of the State of Israel. However, in 1993, the PLO recognized Israeli sovereignty with the Oslo I Accord, and now only seeks Arab statehood in the Palestinian territories that have been militarily occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War.
Yasser Arafat was a Palestinian political leader. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004 and President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) from 1994 to 2004. Ideologically an Arab nationalist and a socialist, Arafat was a founding member of the Fatah political party, which he led from 1959 until 2004.
The Black September Organization (BSO) was a Palestinian militant organization founded in 1970. Besides other actions, the group was responsible for the assassination of the Jordanian Prime Minister Wasfi Tal, and the Munich massacre, in which eleven Israeli athletes and officials were kidnapped and killed, as well as a West German policeman losing his life, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, their most publicized event. These attacks led to the creation or specialization of permanent counter-terrorism forces in many European countries.
Mahmoud Abbas, also known by the kunya Abu Mazen, is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). He has been the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since 2004, PNA president since January 2005, and State of Palestine president since May 2005. Abbas is also a member of the Fatah party and was elected chairman in 2009.
Khalil Ibrahim al-Wazir was a Palestinian leader and co-founder of the nationalist party Fatah. As a top aide of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, al-Wazir had considerable influence in Fatah's military activities, eventually becoming the commander of Fatah's armed wing al-Assifa.
Faruq al-Qaddumi or Farouk al-Kaddoumi, also known by the kunya Abu al-Lutf, was until 2009 Secretary-General and between 2004 and 2009 Chairman of Fatah's central committee and the Palestine Liberation Organization's political department, operating from Tunisia.
The Palestinian government is the government of the Palestinian Authority or State of Palestine. The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (EC) is the highest executive body of the Palestine Liberation Organization and acts as the government. Since June 2007, there have been two separate administrations in Palestine, one in the West Bank and the other in the Gaza Strip. The government on the West Bank was generally recognised as the Palestinian Authority Government. On the other hand, the government in the Gaza Strip claimed to be the legitimate government of the Palestinian Authority. Until June 2014, when the Palestinian Unity Government was formed, the government in the West Bank was the Fatah-dominated Palestinian government of 2013. In the Gaza Strip, the government was the Hamas government of 2012. Following two Fatah–Hamas Agreements in 2014, on 25 September 2014 Hamas agreed to let the PA Government resume control over the Gaza Strip and its border crossings with Egypt and Israel, but that agreement had broken down by June 2015, after President Abbas said the PA government was unable to operate in the Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Republic of Iran officially recognises Palestine as a state. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, rejects a two-state solution and implies that Palestine is inseparable, while Iran's former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for a free referendum for the entire Palestinian population, including Arab citizens of Israel, to determine the type of government in the future Palestinian State, while reiterating that establishment of a Palestinian State alongside Israel would "never mean an endorsement of the Israeli occupation".
Khaled al-Hassan (1928-1994) was an early adviser of Yasser Arafat, PLO leader and a founder of the Palestinian political and militant organization Fatah. Khaled was the older brother of Hani al-Hassan.
Relations between Romania and PLO have been strong since the beginning of the Communist regime in Romania in 1947. Relations between Romania and the PLO were established and strengthened under the regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu, who ruled Romania from 1965 until 1989. In 1974 Romania recognized the PLO and a representative office was established in Bucharest. The PLO representative office later became an embassy. During that time many Palestinian militants were trained in Romania and most of the weapons that the PLO used against Israel were made in the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact countries including Romania. Even after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 which overthrew the communist regime and established a democratic republic, Romania remained committed to the Middle East peace process and the establishment of a separate Palestinian state. In fact, Romania had maintained bilateral relations both with Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization and was seen by both sides as a neutral mediator. Romania was one of the first countries to recognize the Palestinian Authority after the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on November 15, 1988. Romania has since maintained relations with the Palestinian Authority and has always supported Palestinians' cause in the United Nations.
The bilateral relations between the State of Palestine and Russia have a complex history, deeply interwoven with Russian and Soviet relations with the Israeli enterprise, Palestinian nationalism, and Third World national liberation movements. Between 1956 and 1990, Soviet-Palestinian relations were part of the then ongoing Soviet-American confrontation.
China–Palestine relations, also referred to as Sino–Palestinian relations, encompasses the long bilateral relationship between China and Palestine dating back from the early years of the Cold War.
Relations between Vietnam and the Palestine have been strong and very friendly. Vietnam had established very close relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and was one of the first countries to recognize the State of Palestine.
Egypt–Palestine relations are the bilateral relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Palestine. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause and he favored self-determination for the Palestinians. Although the Egyptian government has maintained a good relationship with Israel since the Camp David Accords, most Egyptians strongly resent Israel, and disapprove of the close relationship between the Israeli and Egyptian governments.
The alliance between Algeria and Palestine is strong and enduring. Algeria is a supporter of the Middle East peace process and it has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
The Palestinian National Covenant or Palestinian National Charter is the covenant or charter of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Covenant is an ideological paper, written in the early days of the PLO.
Mexico–Palestine relations are the diplomatic relations between the United Mexican States and the State of Palestine. Both nations are members of UNESCO.
Palestine–Spain relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between these two countries. Palestine has an embassy in Madrid. Spain has a consulate general in East Jerusalem that serves the Palestinian delegation.
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