Editing Foreign relations of Greece (section)

=== Northern Epirus ===
{{Main|Northern Epirus}}
[[File:Albania minorities.png|thumb|A map of the traditional Greek presence in [[Northern Epirus]] (in blue).]]

Northern Epirus is the name used generally by Greeks to refer to the southern part of Albania, home to a Greek minority<ref>Country Studies US: [http://countrystudies.us/albania/49.htm Greeks and Other Minorities]</ref> which after 1989 keeps reducing due to immigration to Greece. The Greek minority was subject to oppression and harassment during [[Enver Hoxha]]'s communist rule and along with the rest of Albanians was hit hardly by the isolation that the regime imposed and from the economic hardship that followed the [[fall of communism]] as well. The treatment of the minority by the Albanian government is strongly linked with the status of Greco-Albanian relations.

The Greek minority is organized under the [[Unity for Human Rights Party]] which is the continuation of the former banned party called "Omonoia" (Unity in Greek) and has since 1997 joined the [[Socialist Party of Albania|Socialist coalition]]. At the [[1996 Albanian parliamentary election|1996 Albanian election]] the Greek minority party received 4.1% of the vote and two seats in parliament. The party leader is Vangjel Dule, while party member Vasilis Bolanos is former mayor of the town of Himara. The party is represented in the ELDR group in the Council of Europe. Strong Greek presence exists in [[Gjirokastër]], [[Korçë]], [[Sarandë]], [[Himara]] and the nearby areas. The former CIA director [[George J. Tenet]], [[Pyrros Dimas]], [[Sotiris Ninis]] and former Greek president [[Kostis Stefanopoulos]] have ancestral links to the Greek minority.

The situation of the [[Greeks in Albania]] is closely tied to the socio-political ties of the two countries. At times differences between Athens and Tirana regarding the rights and position of the minority has led to tense relations. The community, alongside the [[Albanian communities in Greece]] are hailed as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greek PM Mitsotakis Pledges to Steadfastly Support Ethnic Greek Minority of Albania |url=https://www.thenationalherald.com/greece-unhappy-albania-makes-deal-to-buy-war-drones-from-turkey/ |website=The National Herald |date=22 December 2022 |quote="...Mitsotakis, clearly moved, stated that it was a great honour to be the first Greek prime minister to visit Himare... "The Greek ethnic minority of Albania will have in me a steadfast supporter of your just claims. You are the bridge of friendship between Greece and Albania."}}</ref>