Albania–Bulgaria relations

Albania-Bulgaria relations

Albania	Bulgaria

Albania–Bulgaria relations refer to the foreign relations between Albania and Bulgaria. Diplomatic relations between Albania and Bulgaria were established in 1922. The Albanian Embassy in Bulgaria is in Sofia. The Bulgarian Embassy in Albania is in Tirana. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean and NATO. As an EU Member-State, Bulgaria supports Albania in its euro-integration path.^[1]

History

The territory of modern Albania was part of the Bulgarian Empire during certain periods in the Middle Ages. Most of Albania became part of the First Empire in the early 840s during the reign of Khan Presian, but some coastal towns, such as Durrës, remained in the hands of the Byzantines for most of that period. The castles of the mountainous inner country remained one of the last Bulgarian strongholds to be conquered by the Byzantines in 1018-1019 during the fall of the First Bulgarian Empire. During the Byzantine rule Albania was one of the centers of a major Bulgarian uprising. The last Bulgarian Emperor to govern the whole territory was Ivan Asen II (1218–1241). After his successors the Bulgarian rule diminished. Much of that area corresponded with the Bulgarian historical region Kutmichevitsa. The decline of Bulgaria continued and the country lost its last fortresses in Albania under Constantine Tikh Asen (1257–1277).

Albanians in Bulgaria

Ethnic map of the Balkans from 1861, by G. Lejean. The map also represents the Albanian village "Arnaut-Köy" from the South of present-day Bulgaria

Albanians (Bulgarian: албанци, albantsi) are a minority ethnic group in Bulgaria (Albanian: Bullgaria). Although their current population is low (in the 2001 census they only numbered 278^[2]) their numbers have been much larger in the past. Between the 15th and 17th century, groups of Albanians (both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox) settled in many parts of modern northern Bulgaria, with a smaller group settling in southern Thrace.

Some of the earliest Albanian settlers in modern Bulgaria were the Roman Catholic ore miners in Kopilovtsi, Montana Province, a village in the vicinity of the larger mining center Chiprovtsi. Kopilovtsi was settled between the 15th and the 17th century, and a Catholic church was built in the early 17th century. Unlike the Catholic population in other villages of the region, Kopilovtsi's residents were of Albanian origin.

Other places in northern Bulgaria where an Albanian presence has been strongly suggested are Chervena Voda near Rousse, Poroishte near Razgrad, Dobrina near Provadia, and Devnya near Varna.^[3] Albanians have been registered in the modern Bulgarian capital Sofia since the early 17th century. Other possible colonies south of the Balkan Mountains included Gorno Arbanasi and Dolno Arbanasi near Asenovgrad.^[4] The most notable Albanian village in Bulgarian Thrace is Mandritsa near Ivaylovgrad, which was settled in the first half of the 17th century by settlers from near Korçë. A church was built in 1718.^[5] The village reached its demographic peak before the Balkan Wars; in 1912, it was inhabited by 1,879 people.^[6]

After the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878, many Albanians arrived to the country as political immigrants. A patriotic organization of Albanians in Bulgaria, Longing, was established on 1 January 1893 in Sofia and initially had 53 members. An Albanian-language printing press was founded shortly thereafter. Besides calendars and newspapers, the printing house published important patriotic works of the National Renaissance of Albania, including publications by brothers Naim Frashëri and Sami Frashëri.^[7] Most notably, the text of the Albanian national anthem, Aleksander Stavre Drenova's Hymn to the Flag, was first published in Sofia by the Freedom of Albania newspaper.

See also

• Accession of Albania to the European Union
• Foreign relations of Albania
• Foreign relations of Bulgaria

References

1. http://www.mfa.bg/embassies/albania/en/108/index.html
2. "Етнически малцинствени общности" (in Bulgarian). Национален съвет за сътрудничество по етническите и демографските въпроси. Archived from the original on 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
3. Гюзелев, pp. 57–75.
4. Гюзелев, pp. 97–99.
5. Гюзелев, pp. 99–100.
6. Милетич, Л. Разорението на тракийските българи през 1913 г. София, 1918, с. 86.
7. Бобев, Боби; Тома Кацори (1998). "Албанците в България" (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-02.

External links