HISTORY OF THE CREATION OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE ALBANIAN STATE

The beginnings of diplomatic representation of the independent Albanian state

The institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was established on December 4, 1912, immediately after the declaration of the independence of the Albanian state from the Ottoman Empire. The Provisional Government of Vlora had all ministerial posts located in one building. The Prime Minister of the Provisional Government, Ismail Qemali, also held the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs until June 1913.

Then this function passed to Myfit bey Libohova who exercised it until the end of January 1914. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this period functioned as a section of the Provisional Government, and had only the position of the head, the position of his secretary-archivist, and a diplomat who assisted the head in organizing the work with the main objective of securing the recognition of Albania’s independence by the Great Powers at the Conference of Ambassadors in London in 1913. To achieve this objective, the first diplomatic services were also carried out, such as the diplomatic mission of the Government of Vlora to the Conference of Ambassadors, headed by the personal diplomat of the Prime Minister Rasih Dino.

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1913-1920

By the decision of July 29, 1913, the Conference of Ambassadors of the Six Great Powers in London decided that Albania, within the borders determined by this Conference, would be formed as “… an autonomous, sovereign and hereditary principality … under the guarantee of the Six Powers. The Prince would be appointed by the Six Powers. Any link of sovereignty between Turkey and Albania is excluded….The control of the civil administration and finances of Albania is entrusted to an International Commission composed of delegates of the Six Powers and a delegate of Albania”. Until the arrival of the Prince, everything would be subject to the control of the International Commission. In the circumstances of a difficult situation created inside and outside the country, on January 15, 1914, Ismail Qemali was forced to transfer power into the hands of the International Commission of Control. This Commission was charged by the Conference of Ambassadors to elaborate a project for the detailed organization of the Albanian administration. On March 7, 1914, the German prince Wilhem Wieddi, chosen by the 6 Great Powers to lead the Albanian principality within the political borders recognized by them, arrived in Durrës.

Wilhem Wieddi. The Prince of Albania appointed the “Definitive Government” on March 17, 1914. The “Definitive Government” created by him, in addition to the numerous internal problems that they had to solve, had the major obligation to build the foreign service and determine political priorities in foreign relations. An advantage for this government was the fact that it was given international recognition and was accepted by the Great Powers as the first representative government of the independent Albanian state.

The first Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the new officially recognized Albanian state was Turhan Pashë Përmeti, former ambassador of the Ottoman Empire in St. Petersburg. Turhan Pasha remained as foreign minister until 28 May 1914, then he was replaced by Prenk Bibë Doda and the latter, after July, was succeeded by Mehmed Konica. Since Italy and Austria-Hungary were the authors of the formula for the recognition of Albania’s independence, Captain Castoldi, an Italian officer, was “commanded” to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for diplomatic missions. He, together with the Austrian diplomat Buchberger, formed the prince’s political cabinet.

Unlike the government of Ismail Qemali, the government of Turhan Pasha was granted international recognition and was accepted by the Great Powers as the first representative government of the independent Albanian state recognized in 1913. This formally facilitated the path of recognition of this government by other states, mainly by neighboring countries.

The issue of recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Great Powers, with neighbors and beyond was a survival problem and extremely urgent for the new government, which had many needs for support and assistance. International recognition would also accelerate the establishment and expansion of the Albanian foreign service, the appointment of diplomatic representatives in other states.

This process would always proceed in accordance with an agreement between the official Rome and Vienna, which had been the main supporters of Wieddi’s candidacy and the formula for the recognition of the independent Albanian state within the borders determined by the Great Powers in London. They discussed whether, from the point of view of international law, Albania had the right or not to appoint its official and semi-official representatives abroad under certain conditions of limitation of its sovereignty due to the activity of the International Control Commission in the country. The examination of this dilemma prolonged the beginning of the procedures for the establishment of the first diplomatic relations. This slowed down the process a little, but did not stop it. Albania lacked at this time sufficient professional capacities to build a full diplomatic corps as well as the finances to establish a network of diplomatic and consular representations abroad. However, this did not prevent the beginning of representation with a modest presence in the main centers of European politics, since there were some people with diplomatic culture and experience.

The clashes between official Rome and Vienna to control Albanian foreign policy and the reaction of the other Great Powers caused Wieddi and the Albanian government to begin late, in May, the negotiations to open representations in several key countries for Albanian foreign policy.

Vienna and Rome insisted that Albania’s representations abroad be limited due to the financial burden and lack of personnel and proposed that they take over the diplomatic and consular representation of Albania, but it was opposed by Wieddi and the other powers, mainly France. This delayed the process of opening legations in neighboring countries. To encourage the process, Wieddi, at the beginning of May 1914, addressed a letter to the monarchs and heads of 30 states. Informing them of his accession to the throne of Albania on March 7, 1914, he asked them for recognition, cooperation and support “to contribute to the consolidation abroad of the position of the new state destined to play an important role in the balance of the Balkans.” (AMEPJ, v.1914, D.38, fl.3).

After a positive response from Rome and Vienna, the first foreign representatives appointed as Envoys Extraordinary and Ministers Plenipotentiary to the Royal Court of Prince Wiedd were the Italian representative Baron Carlo Alioti and the Austro-Hungarian representative Lowenthal. The experts helped to open the first diplomatic missions in Rome and Vienna. In May 1914, we also have the first decision of the Wiedd government to appoint Dr. Adamidh bey Frashëri, a Swiss graduate, as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Italian Royal Court and the Letters of Credentials that Prince Wieddi sends to King Victor Emmanuel of Italy. For unclear reasons, he himself left Rome after two months and was replaced by Myfit bey Libohova, until then minister in the government of Turhan Pasha. In May, Letters of Credentials were also sent to the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz Joseph for the appointment of Syrja bey Vlora as minister in Vienna.

The March 1914 demarche also brought some new recognitions from the kingdoms of Serbia, Belgium, and Spain. Among the Great Powers, France on May 12, 1914 appointed Minister De Fontenay in Durrës, while Berlin appointed Minister Lucius, former counselor at the German embassy in St. Petersburg. Great Britain and Russia remained awaiting further Albanian developments. Of the governments of the countries of the region, the first was the Romanian government (also due to the blood ties of the royal crown with Prince Wieddi), which appointed the first diplomatic representative from the region, Minister Burzhele. In June, the Greek representative Konstantin Varatas, prefect of Corfu, presented his credentials.

Serbia established diplomatic relations with Albania in two stages. First, in April 1914, at the level of a diplomatic agency, with the representative of the chargé d’affaires Panta Gavrilović, and later in June 1914 in the form of a legate with a plenipotentiary minister, and even requested the opening of a consulate general in Shkodra. The Bulgarian government appointed its representative in Albania at the level of chargé d’affaires in April 1914, Pavlov, until the appointment of a plenipotentiary minister. On June 29, 1914, the German diplomatic representative in Durrës informed the MFA that until the arrival of a representative of the Sublime Porte, he was tasked with protecting Ottoman interests in Albania.

Meanwhile, the Albanian government was left with only two diplomatic representatives appointed abroad and one candidate in the draft, namely Mehmet Konica in Athens. The “Definitive Government” and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania functioned until the eve of the beginning of World War I in September 1914. On September 3, Prince Wieddi left Albania and the country became a theater of war between the Balkan states and the Great Powers.

The war was followed by the Durrës Government in December 1918 and the Lushnja Government, which emerged from the Lushnja Congress on January 30, 1920.

The end of the war re-examined the problem of the existence of an independent Albanian state for the Albanian people. In these circumstances, the need arose to create an Albanian national government to express the interests of the Albanians and defend them at the Peace Conference in Paris that would begin its work in January 1919. For this purpose, after intensive preparatory work, it was decided to convene a congress in the former capital of Albania, in Durrës, in December 1918. Hoping for Italy’s support for preserving Albania’s independence, Italian assistance was requested for the organization of this Congress. The Provisional Government that emerged from the Durrës Congress consisted of 14 members. It was headed by Turhan Pasha Përmeti and Myfit Bey Libohova was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. A delegation composed of several members of the government and headed by Turhan Pasha Përmeti was assigned to present the Albanian national demands to the Peace Conference and defend them. Since in its positions the Government of Durrës demonstrated that it had fallen prey to Italian interests in Albania and was not representing Albanian national interests, the need arose to replace it with an Albanian national government.

These were the historical beginnings of the diplomatic representation of the independent Albanian state which began its journey to expand and consolidate over the years, accompanied by significant problems in different historical periods of our state formation.

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1920-1925

On January 30, 1920, in Lushnje, at the initiative of Albanian patriots and intellectuals of the time, a Congress was convened with representatives from all the liberated provinces of Albania, which would elect the Albanian national government away from Italian influence. On January 30, 1920, the Albanian National Government was established, with a broad base of support. Its Prime Minister was Sulejman Delvina and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mehmet Konica. The priority of the MFA at that time was the recognition of the Albanian government abroad, admission to the League of Nations and the defense of the Albanian issue at the Second Ambassadorial Conference, Paris 1921. This caused the attention to shift from building a well-thought-out structure for the organization of the MFA as an institution.

Since the Paris Peace Conference left the Albanian issue, the recognition of independence and its borders defined in 1913, unresolved, Foreign Minister Konica immediately set off to the main European chancelleries of the time to secure their support in reaching a decision for Albania.

In order to build a professional foreign service, by a special decision of the Council of Ministers, in October 1920, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Konica, was tasked with finding a consul from among the old consuls of Austria to be employed for a period of 2 years to organize the Albanian consulates and to serve as a teacher for those who wished to enter the Albanian consular service. Then, in August 1921, the National Council (parliament) upon the proposal of the Foreign Policy Commission decided to open Albanian consulates in Brindisi, Trieste and Florence.

After Albania’s admission to the League of Nations on December 17, 1920 and the Decision of November 9, 1921 of the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris, which re-sanctioned the independence of the Albanian state and the borders defined in 1913, many states recognized the Albanian government and began to establish diplomatic relations with the Albanian state. In the years 1922-1923, Albanian legations were opened in London, Paris, Rome, Belgrade, Sofia, Athens, Bucharest, the Albanian representation in the League of Nations, as well as general consulates in Alexandria, Bucharest, Luxembourg, Stockholm, Trieste, and consulates in Bari, Constantinople, Constance, Hamburg, New York, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Vienna, Munich, Brindisi, while many foreigners in this period addressed requests to the Albanian government to be appointed as honorary consuls of Albania in other countries.

At the beginning of 1922, on the eve of the opening of foreign legations in Albania, the Council of Ministers proposed to the National Council that a special structure be created near the High Council (Regency) for the reception ceremonies of foreign representatives. This proposal was not approved. The National Council decided that the duties of this structure would be carried out by an employee of the MFA, a fact that also marks the beginnings of the State Protocol at the MFA.

Towards the end of 1922, the National Council requested the MFA that the Albanian representations abroad inform all Albanian colonies in the countries where these representations were accredited of the activity and talks in the National Council on the problems of the Albanian colonies, an act that constitutes the beginnings of the work of the Albanian state with the Albanian diaspora in the world.

The beginnings of the structural construction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, February 1923.

After the Decision of the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris, November 1921, and the international recognitions of the Albanian government throughout 1922, at the beginning of 1923 the need arose to divide the tasks that were increasing in the MFA. On February 3, 1923, the MFA proposed to the Council of Ministers a draft organizational structure of the MFA. For the first time, the MFA created its own organizational structure, i.e. the official division of tasks, with the decision of the Council of Ministers no. 70, dated February 6, 1923, which approved the MFA’s proposal for organizing this institution with two directorates along with the names of the personnel that would cover each envisaged job position.

In this organizational structure, diplomatic ranks also appeared for the first time as job positions in the MFA, taken mainly from the Turkish model of diplomatic hierarchy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would consist of:

• General Secretariat
• Secretary General, (Xhafer Vila – the first Secretary General in the MFA)
• 1 Second Secretary (title and not diplomatic rank)
• Head of the material base in the MFA,
• An archivist and 1 typist-protocolist

Political and Disputes Directorate

• Director
• First Secretary
• Second Secretary

Directorate of Consular Affairs and Trade

• Director
• Deputy Secretary I
• Deputy Secretary II
• Ministry Cage
• 2 cleaning workers

Despite the fact that this structure was approved, due to the lack of political stability in the country and frequent government changes, it did not function until December 1924.

From this moment on, the organizational structures of the MFA in the following years would expand and be perfected from the professional point of view of the division of labor and the expansion of the tasks that this institution would carry out over the years.

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1925-1939

After the establishment of the First Republic of Albania, in January 1925, the President of the Republic of Albania, Ahmet Zogu, upon the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hysen Vrioni, approved the separation of political affairs from consular-administrative affairs and the creation of a Political Directorate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The main arguments were the increase in the activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the need to enter into more direct relations with the foreign diplomatic corps accredited in Albania and the Albanian representations abroad, as well as to seriously follow the various issues that were discussed in the League of Nations, which was gaining special importance day by day. Now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has two directorates, the political one and the consular-administrative one.

In October 1925, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed to the Council of Ministers that the representations of the Republic of Albania abroad should use Albanian students who were continuing their studies in these countries as free attaches. This would also prepare future career diplomats who would serve the Albanian state. This proposal was approved by the Council of Ministers, but was rejected by the National Council because it was considered a decrease in the level of representation of the Albanian Republic among foreigners.

One of the first acts undertaken by the Presidency of the Republic of Albania was the call made to all high state institutions to prepare their draft organic laws regarding the organization of these institutions and the administrative division of duties. At the same time, based on the models of homologous institutions abroad, the MFA proposed to the Council of Ministers the beginning of the application of the diplomatic rank system during the diplomatic career of each official. The proposal was approved.

While the first honorary consulate was opened in Copenhagen on August 1, 1925, the year 1926 also saw the main wave of opening honorary consulates of the Republic of Albania in the world (without expenses), the purpose of which, as Hysen Vrioni expressed it, was “…to make our country known through trade and economy, to provide protection and relief to Albanians who are there and those who travel for commercial, cultural and educational purposes, etc.”

In the same year, the Council of Ministers approved the “Regulations on the official uniform of the diplomatic and consular corps” according to European models.

In April 1927, the Press Office was added to the structure of the MFA, an office that was transferred to the MFA from the Ministry of Interior. The reasons used as an arguments for this transfer were “The importance given to the press and its influence in resolving political-diplomatic issues throughout the civilized world, which has encouraged Western countries to have special offices with personnel capable of directing the domestic press and influencing global public opinion through special propaganda in the foreign press. It is added to the structure of the MFA as a parallel section to the other two sections of this ministry”.

The form of organization and presentation of this institution was determined by the Organic Law of the MFA, the drafting of which began in 1925, but was finalized in 1929, under the special care of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rauf Fico. The Organic Law of the MFA was considered the backbone of the department. The law stipulated that the central administration in the MFA would be divided into these main offices:

• General Secretariat
• Political Directorate
• Consular, Administrative, Accounting and Personnel Directorate
• The Press Office was transferred back to the Ministry of Interior, while the State Protocol was attached to the Consular, Administrative, Accounting and Personnel Directorate.

This law regulated the functioning of the entire foreign service, defining the duties of each part of the institution’s structure, the level of diplomats who should work in this structure, the level of representation of the Albanian Kingdom (September 1, 1928) in the world. Names of any kind in the MFA would be proposed by the MFA, would be approved in the Council of Ministers, in the National Council and then decreed by King Zog I.

Over time, this law underwent several changes in order to improve it. One of these additions was the mention in the law that Albania would have a permanent representation in Geneva at the League of Nations and not only with special delegations, with the argument that it would ensure a permanent contact of the kingdom with international political circles and was seen as a more economical solution.

Also in April 1929, the Law on Consular Service was decreed, according to which consular representations were divided into consulates-general, consulates and sub-consulates. After the enactment of this law, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rauf Fico asked the Council of Ministers to repeal the Regulation “On the uniform of the Albanian diplomatic and consular corps” of 1926, since it had many shortcomings and was not suitable for the Albanian administration. On June 3, 1929, King Zog decreed its annulment.

In January 1932, by Royal Order at the MFA, the Library of the institution was created, which would hold in its funds all the printed matter of every activity belonging to the League of Nations. For the opening of this Library, 171 books of all the acts approved by this organization were sent from Geneva.

In January 1936, upon the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuat Asllani, the Directorate for the League of Nations was added to the structure of the MFA, which was considered the most important organization for the protection of the international rights of Albanians in those years. This directorate would also deal with the problems of the Albanian diaspora abroad, as well as keep statistics on their number and condition. In the same year, the Press Directorate was reopened in the structure, which was again separated from the Ministry of Interior. This directorate was also charged with the task of controlling books entering Albania.

Meanwhile, the intensive opening of honorary consulates continued to make Albania’s values ​​known in Europe and beyond, in the impossibility of opening Albanian consular representations in these countries. This situation continued until 1939.

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1939-1944

After the occupation of Albania on 7 April 1939, the new government established on 12 April 1939 and headed by Shefqet Verlaci, tasked Dr. Xhemil Dino – Minister of Foreign Affairs, to enter into an agreement with the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Cianno, to reach an agreement, based on which the diplomatic and consular services of the two Albanian and Italian kingdoms would be unified and that the international relations of the two states would be concentrated in Rome at the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At that time, the Albanian MFA had a staff consisting of a protocol director, a temporary political director, an ad interim director for affairs with the League of Nations, a chief of cipher, 4 second and third secretaries, and 10 attaches.

While the government continued its work for more than two years, until December 4, 1941, the activity of the MFA did not last even three months. On June 3, 1939, Dino and Ciano signed the agreement in question. After it was approved by the Council of Ministers, the agreement was passed on June 5, 1939 to the Viceroy General in Albania Francesco Jacomoni for decree. On June 5, 1939, the agreement was decreed. This agreement also provided for “the temporary creation of an Office under the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which would be charged with the handling and liquidation of any administrative issue remaining unhandled until June 3, 1939 by the now abolished MFA.” After this date, all official acts were addressed to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers for resolution. The Albanian diplomatic and consular service was abolished by the Italian diplomatic and consular service. Meanwhile, the Italian MFA established the Under Secretariat of State for Albanian Affairs, or as it was known, the “Albanian Office”.

In 1940, the Royal Viceroyalty General was faced with a large number of complaints from many Albanian families concerned that they had not received news from their relatives in the countries that were in conflict. In these conditions, the Royal MFA decided to create an information service on Albanians living in occupied or enemy countries and colonies. This service ran parallel to the one that existed for Italians in those countries.

After the liquidation of the attributes of the Albanian MFA, in January 1941, a part of the Albanian diplomatic personnel with fascist convictions, who were currently unemployed, were accepted into the role of clerk for Albanian affairs at the MFA in Rome or became part of the waiting list of this institution.

From June 1939 to October 1943, Albania had no Minister of Foreign Affairs, and consequently no Albanian diplomatic service.

After the capitulation of fascist Italy, on September 14, 1943, the politicians remaining from the old administration created a National Assembly composed of 22 people, headed by Pejani, as well as a Provisional Executive Committee composed of 6 people, headed by Ibrahim Biçakçiu, a committee that functioned as a provisional government. The first task of this Assembly was to declare the end of the Italian yoke in Albania and to call for the creation of a representative government. The Provisional Executive Committee took over the management of state affairs until the formation of the government. Part of this Committee was also the “Office in Charge of Foreign Affairs”. With decision no. 61, dated September 21, 1943, the Provisional Executive Committee abrogated the agreement concluded on June 3, 1939 between the Albanian Government and the Italian Government on the unification of diplomatic and consular services.

The Office in Charge of Foreign Affairs, and later the MFA, during the German occupation was tasked with carrying out liaison functions between the Albanian Administration and the German military authorities. Any department that encountered obstacles in its work due to the activities of the German Military Administration in Albania addressed the Office in Charge of Foreign Affairs and later the MFA.

With Decision No. 68, dated October 13, 1943, the Provisional Executive Committee of Albania, under the chairmanship of Ibrahim Biçakçi, decided that in the new situation created, Albania should emerge as an independent subject in the arena of international diplomatic relations. The appropriate body to represent Albania would be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which would take the necessary steps for the recognition of Albania as an independent state among other states.

The Provisional Executive Committee decided:

• The re-establishment of the MFA with all the bodies it had before April 7, 1939
• The readmission to the foreign service of all those employees and functionaries who had been in the foreign service administration until April 7, 1939 and who were untainted by the Italian service.

It was decided that the MFA would have 87 people, of whom 65 diplomats, 5 chancellors, chief calligraphers, translators, 10 typists and agents, 7 cleaning workers. The selection of people would be made by the Administrative Council composed of former senior officials of the MFA before April 7, 1939 under the chairmanship of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Its decisions would be approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or one of his deputies. The Provisional Executive Committee charged Mr. Vehbi Frashëri with the management of foreign affairs until the formation of the Albanian Government.

At the 5th session of the National Assembly, 22 October 1943, the latter approved the creation of the High Council of Regency and the repeal of those laws and regulations adopted in the period 12 April 1939 – 14 September 1943 “…that did not comply with the spirit of the decisions of the National Assembly”. The Assembly recognized all the provisions of the Statute dated 1 December 1928 that did not contradict the decisions of the National Assembly or the laws in force.

On 5 November 1943, the government was formed with Prime Minister Rexhep Mitrovica. The post of Minister of Foreign Affairs was assigned to Mr. Mehmet Konica, while the post of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs was assigned to Mr. Vehbi Frashëri. Mr. Mehmet Konica did not participate in the swearing-in of the new government cabinet and did not exercise this duty until February 6, 1944, when Mr. Bahri Omari was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. During this time, Mr. Rexhep Mitrovica, Chairman of the Government Cabinet, also exercised the duty of Minister of Foreign Affairs. On July 17, the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs passed to Mr. Ekrem Vlora.

Also in November 1943, the High Council of Regency approved the proposals of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for several changes to the Organic Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 1929. These changes were decreed in March 1944. In the Organic Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a point was added that the recruitment of Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel would be made for those who had been in the foreign service before April 7, 1939, confirming the spirit of Decision No. 68, dated October 13, 1943, of the Provisional Executive Committee on the re-establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The MFA would now have this organizational structure:

• Secretary General
• Political Directorate, with three sections:
• Political Section
• Section of Treaties and Economic Affairs
• Section of Statistics and Documentation
• Administrative-Consular Directorate
• Directorate of Ceremonies
• Cipher Office
• Archive Office
• Accounting Office, whose personnel would be recruited from the Ministry of Finance
• Typing
• Office of the Economy

This would be the structure of the MFA until peace was restored. Until that time, Albania would have the following diplomatic representations:

• Legations in: Berlin, Bern, Zagreb, Bucharest, Sofia, Ankara.
• Consulates-General in: Belgrade, Athens, Istanbul, Skopje
• Consulates in: Bitola, Ioannina, Thessaloniki.

In the conditions of war, the government was not given the opportunity to achieve these diplomatic objectives. The law provided that the same policy of awarding ranks to members of the diplomatic service would continue. Diplomatic ranks would be accompanied by differentiated payments as defined in the law.

After the resignation of the Mitrovica cabinet in June 1944, in July 1944 the Fiqiri Dine cabinet was formed (July 1944 – August 28, 1944). Dine’s government was the last Albanian government under German occupation.

Meanwhile, as a result of the political developments that occurred in Albania during the years of World War II, the Antifascist National Liberation Council (KANÇ), created at the Peza Conference, September 16, 1942, and led by the Albanian Communist Party, met in Përmet in May 1944. By a special decision, on May 28, 1944, KANÇ elected its Presidency. The latter appointed the Antifascist National Liberation Committee composed of 13 members with all the attributes of a provisional popular government. Foreign affairs would be covered by Omer Nishani, a member of this Committee, with the title “Charged with Foreign Affairs”. On October 22, 1944, at the meeting of the Antifascist-National Liberation Council organized in Berat, it was decided to transform the Antifascist National Liberation Committee into the Provisional Democratic Government of Albania. Omer Nishani was reconfirmed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in this government. From the creation of the Committee until its transformation into a provisional government, diplomatic activity was limited, as Albania was occupied by Nazi Germany. After October 22, 1944, the MFA of the Provisional Democratic Government continued to have in its structure only the Office of the Minister and a person attached to him.

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1944-1992

After the liberation of the country, the Provisional Democratic Government worked to create and consolidate its institutions as well as to gain its recognition by the international community.

In December 1944, the Secretariat was created within the structure of the MFA.

The structure of the MFA consisted of the Minister’s Office and the Secretariat. In January 1945, the Typing Department was added to the MFA structure. In the same year, the Archives Office, the Documents Office, the Protocol and Ceremonial Directorate, and the Office of the Secretary General were established. In October 1945, the Political Directorate and the Consular Directorate were established, in November 1945, the Personnel Office and the Cipher Office were established. In December 1945, the Accounts Office was established, while the Documents Office was converted into the Research Office.

As for the entire state administration, directives were given for the MFA that MFA personnel would now be recruited “…from those who had left the ranks of the front and then from the old ones as technicians necessary for the work…” .

The major anti-fascist allies charged the Provisional Democratic Government as a political force to organize elections for the Constitutional Assembly. The Constitutional Assembly, which emerged from the elections of December 2, 1945, declared Albania a People’s Republic and elected a new government headed by Enver Hoxha. The latter also assumed the functions of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Dr. Omer Nishani was dismissed from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs on February 9, 1946 after being elected by the Constitutional Assembly as Chairman of its Presidium.

Yugoslavia was the first state to recognize the new government in May 1945 and in July the Albanian legation was opened in Belgrade. Then other Eastern European countries and France followed.

In March 1946, the Economy Department was created within the structure of the MFA, a month later in April 1946 the Press Office was created and the Legation in Moscow was opened. In June 1946, the Protocol Directorate was transformed into the Protocol Service. In June 1946, the legation in Sofia was opened. In July 1946, the legation in Paris was opened. At the end of 1946, the MFA had this structure:

• Minister
• Secretary General
• Protocol Service
• Political Directorate
• Consular Directorate
• Research Office
• Press Office
• Personnel Office
• Cipher Office
• Accounting Office
• Archives Office
• Economy
• Typing

The offices were subordinate to the Secretary General. The Directorates were subordinate to the Directors, while the Secretary General coordinated the work between them and was responsible for the administration of the entire department under the direction of the Minister.

For the years 1945-1946, the old system of titles with rank and not with job position continued.

In March 1946, the MFA made an official statement that that department did not recognize any Albanian representation abroad, whether diplomatic or consular, except for those of the government of the PR of Albania.

The first complete organizational structure prepared in accordance with the scope and orientations of Albanian foreign policy at that time is considered that of 1947, the year when the political system of the monist state was fully installed. The first Regulation on the Organization of the MFA of the PR of Albania was approved, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on July 7, 1947. According to this regulation, the MFA was organized in the following way:

• Minister and 2 Deputy Ministers
• Administration Branch which included:
• Secretariat
• Archive
• Services
• Political Directorate which included:
• Section I (relations with the Soviet Union)
• Section II (relations with the People’s Democracies)
• Section III (relations with Yugoslavia)
• Section IV (relations with Italy and Greece)
• Section V (relations with Western Europe, America, dominions, colonies and the Near and Far East)
• Personnel Section
• Consular Section
• Protocol and Ceremonial Section
• Section of Studies of International Problems (carried out work related to the UN and other international organizations)
• Section of Treaties and Agreements
• Section of Economic Affairs
• Section of Press
• Section of Accounts and Economy

The Minister, Deputy Ministers and the Head of Administration constituted the Collegium of the MFA. The Collegium was the Minister’s Advisory Body. It could also accept as its members for consultation any of the heads of specific sections or directors according to their professional performance and the weight of their position in the MFA.

Reflecting the purely political nature that the institution assumed, the position of the Secretary General of the MFA was abolished. Everything depended on the political management staff of the institution.

The diplomatic representations of Albania, also according to this regulation, were divided into:

• Legation
• Consulate General
• Consulate
• Vice-Consulate.

Over the years, the structure of the MFA also underwent changes, becoming more politically focused and more adapted to the domestic and foreign policies of the communist system.

In 1948, the MFA Library was also created as part of the Studies Branch. In the same year, the term “referent” came into use for diplomats who did not hold leadership positions in the MFA. Since 1950, the diplomatic rank system inherited from the pre-war Albanian state no longer appeared, which meant that MFA employees were paid according to the work they did and not according to their diplomatic rank. This dealt a serious blow to the establishment of a professional foreign service based on diplomatic career.

In 1950, the position of Legal Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs appeared for the first time.

Demonstrating the great East-West division in international relations in the context of the Cold War, in 1951 the Political Directorate was divided into:

• Political Branch I, which included the countries of the eastern socialist camp, and
• Political Branch II, which included the western capitalist countries, which after the developments of 1948 included Yugoslavia. This branch also included the countries of the Near East.
• The International Organizations Branch was also created
• In 1954, the Secret and Archives Section emerged independently, consisting of 12 people. Some of the other sections were converted into administrative branches.

In the 1970s, there were 4 political directorates covering different geographical regions. In these years, the Committee for Cultural Relations with the Foreign World was also formed within the structure of the MFA, from which the Editorial Board of the Magazine and the newspaper “Shqipëria e Re” depended as part of the system’s propaganda. This increased the political character of the institution.

In 1985, the Legal Bureau was created, as part of the MFA structure, which until that year was represented by only one lawyer. Now the branches were turned into directorates and the sections into branches. The MFA had 7 directorates and 5 branches, 2 sectors and the Legal Bureau in its composition.

In 1982, the Institute for the Study of Contemporary International Relations was also created with a staff of 25 people and reporting to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1989, the staff of the MFA apparatus had 123 employees.

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1992-2006

After the democratic political changes that took place in Albania in 1992 and the new impetus given to Albanian foreign policy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began to play a real professional role in the drafting and development of the foreign policy of the Albanian state. Albanian foreign policy is presented to the world with a new strategy and tactics of action that differed significantly from the past. The effectiveness in drafting policies and decision-making increased. This was also reflected in the new organization of the MFA.

The structure of the MFA was as follows:

• Minister
• Minister’s Cabinet, (a sector organized for the first time in the MFA that disciplined the Minister’s communication with the rest of the MFA)
• 2 Deputy Ministers
• Secretary General (this post, which was first proposed after the end of the war, is now proposed to increase the accuracy of the activity of its various structural units)
• First Political Directorate – (Balkan countries and the Arab world)
• Second Political Directorate – (Europe, Soviet Union, Africa)
• Third Political Directorate – (America, USA, Asia-Pacific)
• Directorate of Economic Cooperation
• Directorate of International Organizations
• Directorate of Cultural, Technical and Scientific Cooperation. This directorate, since November 1991, replaced the Committee for Cultural Relations with the Foreign World. The magazine and newspaper “Shqipëria e re” was closed in November 1991.
• Press and Information Directorate
• Immigration Directorate
• Personnel Directorate
• Legal, Consular Affairs and International Treaties Directorate
• Protocol Directorate
• General Support Directorate, which included the Finance Branch
• Historical Archive Branch, Administrative and Maintenance Service Sector
• Documentation and Facilities Security Sector in the MFA, Special Sector
• Scientific Sector for the Study of International Relations.

The Diplomatic Corps Service Directorate was dissolved as a state enterprise and the Diplomatic Corps Service Office was established, which would now be part of the MFA structure. The scope of its work would be to provide municipal services to foreign missions accredited in Tirana and Albanian missions abroad.

As for the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in 1991, when Albania had entered the era of political pluralism, the knowledge competition for the recruitment of new employees in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began to be applied. In 1996, attempts were made to implement the diplomatic rank system within the Albanian Foreign Service, but this process was not finalized due to the lack of the necessary legal framework. The diplomatic rank system began to be implemented with the enactment of the Law “On Foreign Service” in 1998, a law aimed at regulating all activities of the Albanian Foreign Service. Diplomatic ranks were associated with differentiated financial treatment.

In 1997, with the new developments that had occurred in Albanian foreign policy and with the intensification of Euro-Atlantic integration processes, the structure of the MFA underwent changes again.

The position of Secretary of State for Euro-Atlantic Integration was added to the Ministry’s management. At this time, the MFA had the following structural divisions:

• UN and Other Multilateral Initiatives Directorate
• Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Directorate
• Africa, Near and Middle East Directorate
• Americas, Asia and Pacific Directorate
• Europe Directorate
• Regional Directorate
• State Protocol Directorate
• Legal, Treaty and Consular Affairs Directorate
• Press and Information Directorate
• National Institute of Diaspora that replaced the Immigration Directorate
• Economic Directorate

• Directorate of Personnel, Organization and Services, which includes the Personnel and Organization Sector, the Services Sector, the Liaison Office (Fax Office), the Information, Technology and Statistics Sector, the Archives and Documentation Sector, the Central Secretariat, the Library and the Administrative Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Then, in 2000, this structure underwent changes. The following were created:

The General Directorate of Euro-Atlantic Integration, which included:

• The Directorate of European Integration
• The Directorate of Security and Democracy Affairs

The Directorate of America, Asia and the Pacific was divided into:

• The Directorate of America
• The Directorate of Afro-Asia
• The Directorate of Economic Cooperation
• The Office of the Legal Representative of the Albanian State at the Strasbourg Court
• The Office of Minorities
• The Directorate of Archives and Documentation
• The Directorate of Press and Information (the Information Technology Sector became part of it)
• The Directorate of Finance, which replaced the Economic Directorate
• The Directorate of Analysis and Prognosis, tasked with conducting studies and analyses on certain policies or political positions of the Albanian State in the international arena

After the adoption of the Law “On the Status of Civil Servants” in 2001, the position of the Secretary General assumed the role of mediator between the civil servants of the institution and the Ministry’s political leadership staff, a role that continues to be exercised today.

In June 2002, other changes were made to the organic structure of the MFA: Given the position and strategic role that Albania plays in the Balkan region, the following was created:

General Regional Directorate consisting of:

• Directorate of Bilateral Relations
• Directorate of Regional Multilateral Initiatives
• Directorate of Kosovo

These changes also included the creation of:

• Directorate of Member States and Near EU Countries and
• Directorate of Non-EU Countries.
• The Consular Directorate was separated from the Directorate of Legal Affairs and Treaties
• The Directorate of Financial Control was established
• Directorate of Human Resources and Services (formerly Directorate of Personnel-Organization and Services)

This form of organization of the MFA continued until March 1, 2006. At this time, the MFA was restructured in accordance with the priorities of the new government program. In the structure of the MFA, 3 General Directorates were created:

• General Directorate of Bilateral Relations composed of:
• Directorate of Europe, America and Russia
• Directorate of Asia, Africa and the Far East
• General Directorate of Multilateral Relations composed of:
• Directorate of International Organizations
• Directorate of Multilateral Initiatives
• General Directorate of Legal Affairs and Treaties composed of:
• Directorate of Legal and Treaties
• Consular Directorate.

In order to reflect a new dimension of Albanian diplomacy, that of economic and cultural diplomacy, the Directorate of Economic and Cultural Promotion was created.

In the new structure, the General Regional Directorate was merged and the Directorate of Relations with Neighboring Countries was created, consisting of the Kosovo Sector, the Western Balkans Relations Sector and the Relations Sector with Italy, Greece and Turkey. The Directorate of Human Resources and Services was also merged, as well as the Archives-Documentation Directorate, and the Personnel and Archives-Documentation Directorate and the Directorate of Finance and Services were created.

For better coordination of work and exchange of information between the MFA and the representations and between the representations themselves, the Liaison, Coordination of Representations Unit and the Central Secretariat were created in the MFA.

This structural organization continued until June 2008. In accordance with the dynamism of Albanian foreign policy, the structure of the MFA has undergone several changes.

In order to better monitor the problems of the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration, the General Directorate of Euro-Atlantic Integration and Multilateral Relations was established.

By giving priority to the regional dimension of Albanian diplomacy, the General Regional Directorate was re-established, but with a different organization. It consisted of the Directorate of Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro, the Directorate of Italy, Greece and Turkey (Malta and Cyprus), the Directorate of Southeast Europe (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia), the Directorate of Regional Initiatives.

The General Directorate of Image Promotion, Public Diplomacy and Diaspora and the General Directorate of Support Services were also established within this structure.

The current structure of the institution, consisting of 2 General Directorates, approved on July 30, 2024, is presented in full in the section “Structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” on the

website https://punetejashtme.gov.al/struktura-e-ministrise/