Some Aspects of the Italian Diplomacy Towards the Albanian Republic (1925-1928)

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the relations between Italy and Albania during the republican government of the President Ahmet
Zogu (1925-1928). Its approach is based on the study of the documentation, focusing on the factors that influenced the Italian diplomacy
towards the Albanian state, as follows: At first, the government of Italy had economic interests in Albania, forcing the political class to
make concessions to search and exploit the oil and mineral reserves from the Italian enterprises, such as: Azienda Italiana Petroli
d’Albania (AIPA), Sindaco Italiano Giacamenti Minerari Albanesi (SIGMA) etc; the Italian investments in agriculture and the
establishment in Rome of the National Bank of Albania, in March 1925. Secondly, Italy intended to exert the political influence on Albania
because of its strategic position in the Balkan. Rome benefited from the necessity of the President Zogu to protect his political regime
and to overcome the difficult economic situation, forcing the Albanian government to sign the First Pact of Tirana, on 27th November,
1926. According to this agreement, Italy would defend the juridical, the territorial and the political status-quo of Albania against every
potential aggression. Also it imposed some restrictions on the foreign policy of Albania, menacing its sovereignty. While, the Second
Pact of Tirana signed on 22nd November, 1927, was basically a defensive alliance that strengthened the Italian domination in Albania,
using it as a military base for further penetration in the Balkan.Thus, the Italian diplomacy towards the Albanian state with the aim of
achieving its political and economic goals not only posed a threat to the sovereignty of Albania but also to the stability of the region.