of Panagiotis Barkas, Professor at the University of Argyrokastro
GOOD RELATIONS WITH GREECE WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE WORDS OF THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL IDEOLOGY OF THE 19TH CENTURY.
The historical and national messages of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in the meeting with supporters of his Party, Albanian immigrants, yesterday, in Thessaloniki, did not stand up to the messages of his Albanian compatriots in Greece.
Their concerns related to the creation of conditions by the government of Tirana for the preservation of their national identity in the second generation of immigrants in Greece and in the future, the improvement of relations with the Albanian national core, the creation of real democratic conditions in their country of origin, the possibility of investments in their hometown, etc.
THE EQUAL TO THE GREEK ALBANIANS OF GREECE. The B. EPIRUS "IS DEAD"
For his part, in his usual lengthy speech, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was softer than in May's speech in Athens, mainly regarding the timelessness of Albanianism in Greece and the omens cultivation on this basis, timeless Albanian ethnicity in Greece.
However, in a room that the Greek flag and Greek symbols were again and completely missing, (unlike Rama's meetings in Italy and USA), the Albanian prime minister again characterized the Albanian immigrants in Greece as "Albanians of Greece", which Greece, according to Rama, constitutes their own common home with the Greeks and they are equal citizens of Europe and without any discrimination from the Greeks, as he characteristically said.
Define the term "Northern Epirus" in the slogans of the protesting Greek unions against him, "dead that has died together with the dreams of stripped circles and individuals."
He characterized Greece strategic partner, which, together with Turkey and Italy, form the triangle of strategic partners in the region.
RAMA: THE FUTURE OF RELATIONS WITH GREECE THROUGH THE ROMANTIC APPROACH OF THE HISTORY OF ALBANIANS IN GREECE
Most of his speech referred again to history of Albanians in Greece. This time in Thessaloniki. However, he chose the same tactic. He used for this particular historical aspect the modern European language. By pressing on these values, he referred to her historical physiognomy Thessaloniki which he judged multinational and multicultural, where the Greeks were a simple member of the other ethnic groups of Jews, Turks, Bulgarians, Armenians, etc., even implying that it was wrongly defined by the Greeks as an "orthodox city". Among these ethnicities and on the side of the Jews they had their own great, according to Rama, role of the Albanians.
In Thessaloniki, according to Rama, the Albanians developed trade, national culture and national politics. They have still said, "the walls of tears and the Albanian martyrs who sacrificed themselves in Thessaloniki".
The Albanian prime minister avoided referring to cooperation of the Albanian Muslims with the Ottoman Empire. At the same time baptized Albanians the Greeks originating from the regions of the current Albanian state, mainly from Kortsa.
Rama laid special emphasis on the need knowledge and visibility of the Albanian personalities in Thessaloniki and the Albanian historical reality in the multinational city, according to Rama.
Exactly, this romantic approach of the history of the Albanians in Thessaloniki determines the history of Rama future of Greek-Albanian relations.
"The history of Thessaloniki, Rama said, is an educational book that foreshadows the common future of Albanians and Greeks"
In this context, the Albanian Prime Minister, addressing his followers in the hall, said:
"You, the Albanians of Greece and the Greeks of Albania constitute the essence of an indivisible core of a neighborhood, which should be the source of friendship and not confrontation...."
THE EFFECT OF RAMA'S SPEECH IN ALBANIA
Rama's Albanian national aversions, which were identical with the romantic rhetoric of Albanian scholars of the national ideology of the 19th-20th century, indeed left the audience astonished, who nevertheless applauded and cheered with particular zeal each time they were developed Albanian rhetoric against Greece.
In Albania however, Rama's second visit to Greece for meetings with Albanian immigrants and his speeches were characterized historic success, which confirm the raising the role of Albania in the region, The changing roles between Greece and Albania, where Tirana now enjoys greater support from Western partners.
He raised the Albanian nationalist rhetoric, that now one enters an end to the permanent nationalist aspirations of Greece towards Albania and that the time has now come claiming more owed from Greece and in every direction.
