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Albania–Poland relations

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Albania–Poland relations
Map indicating locations of Albania and Poland

Albania

Poland

The Albanian–Polish relations refers to historical and current bilateral relations between the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Poland. Albania maintains an embassy in Warsaw whilst Poland has an embassy in Tirana.

History

Embassy of Albania in Warsaw

Despite the two countries share historical commons, such as the bond of Roman Catholicism when Albania's most revered figure, Skanderbeg was a Catholic Albanian who led the fight against Turkish Ottoman invasion to Europe, which was recognized by Polish-born Pope John Paul II as a savior; Albanian refugees fleeing from Ottoman-occupied Albania to Poland formed the Winged hussars which defeating the Ottoman invasion in Vienna 1683 and once terrified whole Europe; and suffered from communist rules in most history; and pro-Western views as both are NATO members, especially Poland was the first Slavic nation to recognize Kosovo as an independent entity, the relationship between two nations is quite low than expected. Nonetheless, two countries have been working closer since the fall of communism at 1989 and there has been strong renewal of relationship between two nations.[1]

Kosovo

Kosovo, a region where Albanians formed majority, declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and Poland recognized it on 26 February 2008.[2] While Albania was one of the earliest nations to recognize Kosovo due to common culture, Poland was the first Slavic country to do so. However, in September 2008, President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, stated that the original cause of the 2008 South Ossetia war was not the Georgian operation, but the recognition of Kosovo's independence[3] and that he would block attempts to establish diplomatic relations of Poland with Kosovo at ambassadorial level; however, the government has not proposed to send an ambassador to Pristina.[4]

Nonetheless, Poland had (as of July 2009) 274 troops serving in Kosovo as peacekeepers in the NATO-led Kosovo Force. Originally there were 800 Polish troops in KFOR.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Albania and Poland to Enhance Diplomatic Relations". May 3, 2013.
  2. ^ Poland Recognizes Kosovo
  3. ^ Let's First Help Georgia, Then Talk about Russia
  4. ^ Poland won't open embassy in Priština
  5. ^ "Kosovo Force (KFOR)" www.nato.int Link accessed 21-07-09