Eqrem bej Vlora: Building Albanian International Relations Identity

One argument asserts that international relations (IR) were constructed to serve the identity of a particular state and remain so today. In Albania, IR was initially considered an "alien species," but later became an important instrument for shaping national identity on the eve of and in the aftermath of the formation of an independent Albanian state in 1912. This paper aims to answer the question of what the initial Albanian conception of IR was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To this end, the paper relies on the views of Eqrem bej Vlora (1885–1964), a prominent historical figure in Albania, to examine how he framed the initial Albanian understanding of IR by emphasizing the identities assigned to Albania. Albania’s identity is composed of three layers, as described in Eqrem bej Vlora's writings. The first layer comprises a firmly embedded identity based on Albanian national historical references. The second layer includes the conceptualization of Albania's role as a European country. The third layer relates to the relevance of Ottomanism to Albanian identity. Together, these layers attempt to show how Eqrem bej Vlora viewed Albania’s identities and place in the world.