Preparation: Etnik Arnavutların Arnavutluk Dış Politikasında Etkisi
The Impact of the Ethnic Albanians to the Albanian Foreign Policy

Summary/Abstract: The ethnic Albanian population living in the Balkans today establishes the absolute majority in Albania and Kosovo and composes an important part of the minorities in their neighboring countries (Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Greece). Albanians living in these countries started to affect the foreign policy of Albania after the Cold War era. The idea of nationalism, also known as the goal of “Greater Albania”, is a political project designed by the Albanian patriots since the Ottoman-Russian War (1877-1878) and the Treaty of Berlin (1878), when political borders were roughly defined in the Balkans. Therefore, this project is not unfamiliar today and has an intense impact in Albania's foreign policy. After the proclamation of the independence of Kosovo, Albania abdicated the isolationist policy pursued during the Communist period towards the Albanians living in the Balkans. Albania increases economic cooperation with neighboring countries and removes obstacles to the Albanians in other Balkan countries. This has marked beginning of an integration process. In this article, we will examine Albanian activities especially in the post Cold War era, the Albanian government’s unbiased stance towards these movements and the shaping of its foreign policy in this direction. In other words, the possibility of the creating an Albanian States Federation that could change status quo and borders in the Balkan will be analyzed.

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