Albania–Greece relations are diplomatic relations between Albania and Greece.^[1] They are influenced by various factors, including the presence of Albanian immigrants in Greece, the Greek minority in Albania, historical and cultural ties,^[2] and high-level contacts between the governments of both countries.

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Albanian-Greek relations

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Both Albania and Greece are members of international organizations such as the Council of Europe and NATO, and share common political views about the Balkans and the rest of the world. During the 2004 EU-Western Balkans Summit of Thessaloniki, Greece proposed the "Agenda 2014,"^[3] promoting the integration of all Western Balkan states into the European Union.^[4] On June 24, 2014, under the Greek EU Presidency, Albania was granted official EU candidate status,^[5][6] coinciding with the 10th anniversary of "Agenda 2014."

Greece ranks as Albania's 15th largest foreign investor.^[7] Alongside Italy, Greece has supported Albanian Euro-Atlantic integration efforts, such as Albania's entry into NATO in 2009.^[8] Cooperation between the two governments and business sectors spans fields such as energy, military, tourism, and culture, with bilateral projects like the Trans Adriatic Pipeline and hydroelectric power plants being implemented. Greece has also been Albania's largest donor and the leading donor for the National Theater of Albania.^[9]

Modern diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1971 and are currently considered positive.^[10] Despite shared common traditions, culture, history, and inter-ethnic relations, diplomatic tensions relating to the Greek communities in Albania and vice versa continue to influence perceptions in both countries.^[11] Current issues in the diplomatic ties of the two NATO states include the unresolved status of war between Greece and Albania, which persists after the Greco-Italian War in 1940,^[12][13][14] and the human rights issues faced by the Greek minority in Albania.^[15][16] Contrary to media portrayal and despite these factors, Albanians and Greeks continue to maintain relations in their respective countries. This is facilitated by efforts from academics, cultural groups, NGOs, ethnic minorities, mixed families, and other non-state actors to foster closer and stronger social and political ties.^[17][18][19]

Both Albania and Greece claim autochthonous status in their respective countries and the wider Balkan region. This has led to shared kinship as well as contested claims throughout history.

Due to the close proximity of the two countries, European genetic research has shown a significant degree of genetic similarity between Albanians and Greeks, as well as other southern European populations such as southern Italians and Cypriots.^[20]

Since the nineteenth century, both Albania and Greece have been separate nation-states. For at least twenty-two centuries they belonged to the same state in different forms.^[21] The ancient Greek and Illyrian tribes that inhabited both countries were Indo-European tribes that intermarried with pre-Hellenic populations after arriving in the Balkans about four thousand years ago. Multiple migration events occurred then, as they have more recently, between both countries and peoples. Greek colonies were established along the coast of Illyria, which corresponds to modern-day coastal Albania.

In the Middle Ages, Albanians, particularly those in the population group known as Arvanites, migrated across Greece. They established themselves throughout the country and played a role in the Greek War for Independence and the establishment of the modern Greek state.^[22] In addition, other Christian Albanians also took part in the Greek struggle against the Ottoman Empire.^[23]

After the Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912, the land division between Albania and Greece was resolved under the influence of the Great Powers (Austria-Hungary and Italy) with the Florence Protocol. Relations did not improve until the 1939 occupation of Albania by Italy. Greek and Albanian forces came into conflict during the Greco-Italian War. During the Axis Occupation of Greece, the Greek and Albanian resistance groups were in close contact, exchanging information about the Nazi occupation forces.^[24]

The People's Socialist Republic of Albania, an ally of the Soviet Union, was involved in the Greek Civil War (1946–1949) by supporting the communist-led Greek Democratic Army. Leskovik, in southern Albania, became its headquarters for some time. Several invasions were mounted from Albanian soil into the Greek region of Grammos, with communist guerrillas retreating to Albania after each operation.^[25] Negotiations leading up to the re-establishment of full diplomatic relations started in 1953, and a trade agreement was reached in Paris in 1966.^[26] However, the trade agreement was not implemented due to the absence of a payment agreement.^[26] In 1970, a new trade agreement was also reached in Paris, leading to the establishment of telegraphic and telephone lines, the opening of trade bureaus in Athens and Tirana, and the first truck with Albanian goods after World War II reaching Greece over Yugoslavia in early April of the same year.^[26] Following a lapse lasting more than 30 years, the two countries re-established diplomatic relations on May 6, 1971, in a period when economic cooperation and strategic calculations led Enver Hoxha and the right-wing Greek military junta of 1967–1974 to explore paths of cooperation.^[27][26]

On August 12, 2010, ethnic tensions escalated following the death of Aristotelis Goumas, an ethnic Greek shopkeeper. Goumas was killed when his motorcycle was struck by a car driven by three Albanian youths. The youths had allegedly demanded that Goumas refrain from speaking Greek in his store.^[35][36] In response to the incident, local residents blocked the main highway between Vlorë and Sarandë, demanding reforms and increased representation of Himariotes in the local police force.^[36] Both the Greek and Albanian governments condemned the incident, and three suspects are currently in custody awaiting trial.^[36]

Following the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match between Serbia and Albania, Albanian nationalists were armed with flags and banners. They attacked local ethnic Greeks, vandalized houses, and smashed car windows.^[37][38] This incident prompted diplomatic intervention from Greece, with the Greek foreign ministry issuing a démarche to its Albanian counterpart, demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the attacks.^[39] The Albanian foreign minister acknowledged the swift and efficient response of the state police in identifying the perpetrators.^[37]

Greece ranks as the 15th largest foreign investor in Albania, with investments totaling 217 million euros.^[7]

In August 2017, Albania experienced widespread wildfires. In response to a request for assistance from the Albanian authorities, Greece dispatched two Canadair CL-415 aircraft^[40][41] and seven fire engines, along with their crews, to aid in the firefighting efforts.^[42]

In the aftermath of the 2019 earthquake in Albania, Greece sent two Special Units for Disaster Management (ΕΜΑΚ) teams, comprising 40 members, search and rescue dogs, a convoy of trucks,^[43] and a C-130 airplane carrying food parcels.^{[44][45][46][47]} Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias also visited Tirana.^[48] In addition, Greek doctors and medical supplies were dispatched to assist the affected civilians.^[49] The Greek army provided further support by sending three mobile military kitchens and their personnel.^[50] A team of 16 civil engineers was also sent to Albania.^[51] The Hellenic Red Cross contributed by sending over 200 tons of basic necessities.^[52]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Greece donated 20,000 vaccine doses to Albania.^[53]

Albania has established an embassy in Athens, along with consulates in Ioannina and Thessaloniki. Similarly, Greece has an embassy in Tirana and operates consulates in Gjirokastër and Korçë.

Relations between Greece and Albania have significantly improved since 1991, culminating in the signing of a Friendship, Cooperation, Good Neighborliness, and Security Agreement on March 21, 1996.

Greece has been a staunch supporter of the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Republic of Albania. Since Albania's entry into NATO in May 2009, Albanian-Greek relations have developed on all fronts. The election victory of Edi Rama in 2013 marked a period of significant improvement and warming of relations between the two nations.^[73] Ralf Gjoni, the Albanian Chief of Foreign Policy, described the diplomatic relations between the two countries as "excellent". However, relations deteriorated and became increasingly strained in 2014, a year after Rama's election, due to his refusal to accept the agreement defining the maritime borders and setting the Exclusive Economic Zone between the two countries. This agreement had been signed by Albania's previous government with Greece in 2009.^[74] Despite these difficulties, Greece is regarded as Albania's most important European Union ally and partner.^[75]

The two states cooperate in many fields, including politics, judiciary, energy, and tourism. Regular high-level visits and frequent contacts between the governments, parliaments, and local authorities of the two countries occur on various matters concerning individual sectors and mutual interests. Major ongoing projects between the two countries include the touristic development of the Ionian coastline they share and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Official meetings between the two governments and parliaments are frequent, and the armies of both states regularly conduct co-training as part of the NATO training program for the modernization of the Albanian Armed Forces.

Under the Greek EU Presidency, Albania was granted official EU candidate status. This coincided with the 10th anniversary of the "Agenda 2014", a proposal by the Greek Government to boost the integration of Albania and all the Western Balkan states into the European Union.

In March 2023, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis personally attended an artistic exhibition held by Albanian PM Edi Rama in Athens. Delegations from the two governments also held a working meeting aimed at enhancing relations between the two countries.^[76]

The long-standing dispute between Albania and Greece over the division of maritime borders posed a significant obstacle to Albania's aspirations for European integration. Negotiations between the two countries began in earnest in 2007, culminating in a 2009 agreement titled "On the Delimitation of Their Respective Areas, the Continental Shelf, and Other Maritime Areas Belonging to International Law." Following this agreement, Greece expressed firm support for Albania's integration into the European Union, alongside other Balkan countries. However, in 2010, the Constitutional Court of Albania declared the 2009 agreement incompatible with the Constitution of the Republic of Albania.^[79]

• Foreign relations of Albania
• Foreign relations of Greece
• Greeks in Albania
• Albanians in Greece
• Accession of Albania to the European Union