Albanian state, Bulgarian minority and the Bulgarian-Macedonian committee in the period 1925 – 1939

The Bulgarian minority under Ahmet Zogu’s leadership was generally treated favourably by the Albanian authorities and enjoyed its cultural and national rights. This minority, which today is called Macedonian, then defined itself as Bulgarian or Bulgarian-speaking. It was called by the same name both by the Albanian government and by international organizations, which is understandable, because at that time the Macedonian nation and state had not yet been created. A delicate issue that arose between the Bulgarian minority and the Albanian government was the activity of the Bulgarian nationalist revolutionary movement in Macedonia. On the one hand, mainly under the pressure of Yugoslavia and Greece, the Albanian government took measures to ban these activities on its territory, but on the other hand, there was some sympathy for this revolutionary movement – partly because of the friendly feelings towards Bulgaria, but mainly because it was seen as a natural ally of the Albanian irredentist movement in Kosovo. 

Keywords: Bulgarian minority in Albania; Bulgarian minority’s situation and the Albanian government’s policies towards it; Bulgarian- Macedonian committee.