20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

National project for Aromanians in Albany during the interbellum... 885official intercessions, negotiations, analysis and attempts to identify thebest solutions give the circumstances.On April 26 th 1935, the Albanian minister for foreign affairs hadinformed the representative of Romania in Tirana that the king Zoguthe 1st had agreed to the re-opening of Aromanian schools starting withthe respective date (they had started to function since Mai the 6 th 1935,following the same system as before the socialization).Finally, on Mai 9 th 1936 the decree law concerning the opening andfunctionality of private schools in Albania had been issued. 5Only for a short time again, because on April the 8 th 1939 Albania wasoccupied by Italian troops and on April the 12 th it entered in personal unionwith Italy.As the documents studied by us reveal, neither the Italian RoyalLieutenancy, not the Albanian governors was more willing to providea favourable and long-lasting solution for this Aromanian business inAlbania. The Romanian diplomats identified two reasons for the attitudeof the Italians:a. The wish not to antagonize the Albanian population and elites 6 ;b. Mistrust in Aromanians, because of their religious affiliation withorthodoxy (seen by Rome as an instrument that can be used to servethe interests of the Greek community 7 ).These are some of the political-diplomatic landmarks, which mark theevolution of Aromanian matter during the Interbellum.The deciders of the Romanian foreign policy had analyzed three5N.N. Hiott, op. cit.6N. Țimiraş, secretary of legation, gerant of the General Consulate, to general IonAntonescu, Romanian chief of state, minister of foreign affairs, telegram no. 449/P 1August 1941 of the General Consulate of Romania in Tirana – synthetic report:”...the Albanian government and the royal lieutenancy [Italian, n.n.] don’t seemwilling to allow liberties to the Romanian minority at the moment.Especially now, during a great internal agitation, the rummage of such an issue likethis minority problem, which might aggravate the general complaints, could be consideredhere to be fairly dangerous.On the other hand the idea of transporting Romanians from Albania to the Pinduluiarea, because the Romanians represent an essential element to commerce and to theAlbanian economy in the centres where they’re placed, in the production of cheese andwool and their extinction would give birth to unimaginable commotion”.7Ibidem.”...the allowance of autonomy [of a unified Pindului under Italian control, n.n.] woulddissatisfy the Albanian government […] and would not be Rome’s view either, who seesin the orthodox Romanian church in Pind a Greek orientation…”