Greece will soon abolish a law from 1940 that declared war on Albania following an attack by Italian occupation army from Albanian territory.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias made the promise on Monday, during a press conference with his Albanian counterpart in Tirana, stating that work for the abolishment will start soon in Greece.
It comes more than 80 years after Italian forces that had occupied Albania a few months earlier launched an attack on Greece, and following repeated requests by Albania to scrap the law.
Minister Xhacka of Albania noted that the two countries could also start discussing the issue of Cham properties in Greece.
“Our friendly countries can start discussions on difficult issues inherited from history and from the tragic period of World War II, such as the issue of property rights and human rights of the Cham community,” she stated.
Chams were Greeks of Albanian ethnicity who were deported to Albania after the WWII and had their properties seized by Greek authorities over allegations of collaborating with the Nazis. Experts suggest that war law has not been abolished so far precisely in order to prevent Chams to sue Greece and demand their properties back.
The Albanian minister’s remarks prompted a swift reaction by Dendias who replied that such an issue does not exist, warning that attempts to bring it on the table could lead to negative consequences for Albania’s EU accession.
The two diplomats also discussed the issue of social security contributions, namely pensions for the large Albanian community settling in Greece after the 1990s. A plan for resolving the issue will be discussed between the two governments.
