Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

March 25, 2008

Greek Minority in Albania

STATISTICS

Status: Minority
Population: 70,000
Area: 5,000 km²
Language: Greek

UNPO REPRESENTATION

The Greek Minority in Albania is represented in the UNPO by the Democratic Union of the Greek Ethnic Minority in Albania (OMONIA). Its goal is to be recognised as a minority, to be granted unrestricted rights of travel to their motherland and the rights to restore the cultural traditions of the Greek minority.

OVERVIEW

Geography:

The greater part of the Greek minority in Albania lives in a 5,000 km² area of southern Albania close to the Greek Border. The Region is called Northern Epiros by the Greeks, referring to the historical state of Epiros.

People:

The Greek population in Albania is currently estimated to be around two percent of the total Albanian population, which amounts to around 70.000 persons

The Greek Minority in Albania continues to suffer. The Albanian government has cleaned ethnic Greeks from appointed positions of power. The violence is a part of a government plan to force ethnic Greek to abandon their homes in Albania and move south to Greece. A visit to Albania by US Congressman Tom Lantos, with Mr. Menelaos Tzelios led to Congressional action to put pressure on Albanian authorities.

POLITICAL SITUATION

Most of the Greek Minority in Albania live in southern Albania, a region called Northern Epiros by most Greeks, referring to the historical state of Epiros which was divided between Albania and Greece in 1913.
They speak Greek and the principal religion is Greek Orthodox.

In 1913, Northern Epiros came under Albanian control. The Greeks have lived in that region since the third century B.C.. The region was a part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years until the beginning of the 20th century. The decline of the Ottoman Empire created drastic changes in the Balkan area.

In December 1912, the Great Powers' Ambassadorial Conference in London declared Albania an autonomous state. A year later, the Florence Agreement divided Epiros, conceding the northern part to Albania. A new boundary between Greece and Albania was drawn by the International Commission for Definition of Boundaries.

The signing of the Protocol of Corfu in 1914 insured that the Northern Epiros region would have its own administration and government. This protocol also recognized the rights of the Greek Minority and provided self-government under nominal Albanian sovereignty.

In 1920, Albania was admitted to the League of Nations under the condition that its government would give formal assurances that the rights of ethnic and religious minorities would be fully respected. This was undertaken in the form of the Albanian Declaration on the Protection of Minorities, proclaimed on October 2, 1921.

These assurances, however, were not respected and by 1934, all non-state schools had been closed. Greece brought the issue to the Council of the League of Nations, which referred it to the Permanent Court of International Justice and in 1935, this court decided that Albania had to restore the right of its minorities to establish their own schools.

Gross violations of human rights were committed against all citizens of Albania under the communist dictator, Enver Hoxha, who wielded total power from 1941 until his death in 1985. His Prime Minister, Ramiz Alia, took over in 1985 until the communist regime collapsed in 1991. The Greek minority suffered from religious persecution and the denial of its national and cultural identity.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The 3rd century Northern Epiros by the Greeks was ruled by the Ottoman empire for almost 500 years.
1912 The Great Powers´ Ambassadorial Conference in London Declared Albania an autonomous state.
1913 Epiros was divided between Albania and Greek. A new boundary between two countries was drawn by the International Commission for Definition of Boundaries. Northern Epiros came under Albanian control.
1917 According the Protocol of Corfu, Northern Epiros region would have its own administration system and government representation.
1921 The Albanian Declaration on the Protection of Minorities was proclaimed. The minority group assurances contained in the Declaration were not respected.
1946 The Paris Conference of Allies gave Greek participants false hopes that Northern Epiros would be reunited with Greece.
1955 Despite of Greece objecting to the admission of Albania to the UN until the border question was settled, Albania was admitted into the UN.
1994 Talks began between Albania and Greece on the status of the Greek Minority in Albania and the Albanians in Greece but without results.
1995 Greece and Albania agreed to develop a friendship treaty and a joint committee to regulate seasonal work for Albanians in Greece was established.
1996 Three Greek language schools were opening.