Regional Relations of Albania in the Perspective of the Global Press The Beginning of the 1970s of the 20th Century

Abstract

This paper focuses on Albania's relations with neighboring states during the years 1970–1973, as seen through the lens of the foreign press. The newspapers and articles from foreign news agencies, some of which had left-leaning orientations and noticeable propagandistic tendencies, were exclusively served to the high party dome of the Albanian political hierarchy after being translated by the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA). The distinctive feature of this study lies in its reliance on the foreign press as the primary documentary source. Despite the existence of previous serious studies on these relations, particularly from the perspective of foreign newspaper pages, this paper brings a novelty by enriching the historical framework of the period. This paper aims to present the perspectives held by the foreign press regarding Albania's relations with regional states, such as Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy, etc. Joint actions have been rare in reciprocal relations among these peoples, often marked by conflicts and contradictions. The beginning of the 1970s in the 20th century was characterized by a positive atmosphere in Balkan regional relations, despite different political systems and orientations. Albanian-Greek and Albanian-Yugoslav relations, with their past differences, transitioned from a frozen state to normal positions. Albania had active relations with Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and others during this period. Albania exhibited strictness in these relationships, showing no ideological fluctuations but remaining loyal only in diplomatic, trade, and cultural aspects. This study aims to comprehensively and analytically examine Albania's regional relations, reflecting foreign press articles and culminating in conclusions. Qualitative methods, as well as a collective, descriptive, and analytical research approach, were employed during the research process for this paper.