Greece–Romania relations
Greece |
Romania |
---|
Greco–Romanian relations are foreign relations between Greece and Romania. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the European Union, NATO and United Nations.
Early period
Greco–Romanian relations can be traced back hundreds of years when the two peoples formed a bastion of the
Organizations such as the
In 1911, Greek prime minister Eleftherios Venizelos used the occasion of the Italo-Turkish War to improve relations with Bulgaria and Romania, restoring diplomatic relations with the latter. The Balkan League which included Bulgaria and Greece defeated the Ottomans in the First Balkan War. The League broke at the conclusion of the war, with the former participants and Romania soundly defeating Bulgaria in the Second Balkan War. At the Treaty of Bucharest (1913), Romania supported Greek claims to Kavala, whereas Venizelos granted concessions to the Aromanians. The Aromanian Question which had already lost steam due to Romanian gains in north Bulgaria came to a conclusion. The Greco–Romanian alliance was further solidified during World War I when both countries sided with the Triple Entente.[5]
Interwar Period
In the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), Greece found itself to be in the midst of an internal political crisis. The situation exacerbated by the emergence of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the north, Italy's imperial ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and Turkey's resurgence as a regional power. The 1923 Corfu incident showcased the inability of the League of Nations to protect the interests of smaller countries such as Greece from the encroachments of Italy. In 1924, Yugoslavia unilaterally cancelled the Greek–Serbian Alliance of 1913. In the meantime irrevocable differences with Bulgaria prevented the two countries from normalizing relations. Romanian diplomats Ion I. C. Brătianu and Nicolae Titulescu perceived the fact that Romania was surrounded by Slavic countries as a threat to its security. Thessaloniki's appeal as a potential artery for Romanian exports further increased the possibility of a Greco–Romanian alliance. In 1927, Alexandru Averescu and Andreas Michalakopoulos engaged in discussions regarding the conclusion of a non-aggression pact. Michalaokopoulos agreed to the establishment of a railway line between the two countries, given that it would not be utilized for military purposes. That meant that Romania was to engage in a military confrontation against Bulgaria, shall the latter use the railway to deploy its military against Greece. Negotiations were temporary halted as Romanian diplomats pondered on how to preserve a balance between their involvement with the French led Little Entente and Italy which supported Romanian claims in Bessarabia. In January 1928, Titulescu secured Benito Mussolini's approval for a Greco–Romanian treaty.[6]
Negotiations with Greece resumed in March 1928, during a regular League of Nations conference in Geneva. The Greek–Romanian Non-Aggression and Arbitration Pact was signed by Michalaokopoulos and Titulescu on 21 March. The two sides agreed to abstain from engaging each other in military confrontations, instead resolving their differences through diplomatic channels. According to the rules previously laid out by the League of Nations. In 1931, Venizelos visited Bucharest to conclude the Greek–Romanian Trade and Shipping Agreement with his counterpart Nicolae Iorga.[7]
Modern Day
Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the return of democracy in Romania, many Romanians have emigrated to Greece for economic reasons. Both countries are full members of the European Union, the Council of Europe, NATO and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).
The level of Romanian-Greek bilateral relations is considered exceptionally good as Greece has warmly supported and contributed to Romania's entry into NATO and prompt accession into the European Union. Greece was the fifth member state of the EU and first among the old members to ratify the Treaty of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU. Greece is among the three top investors in Romania, with almost 800 active businesses and invested capital totalling 3 billion euros.[8] According to the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad, the Greek community in Romania numbers 14,000.
European Union
Greece joined the EU in 1981. Romania joined the EU in 2007.
NATO
Greece joined NATO in 1952. Romania joined NATO in 2004.
Resident diplomatic missions
- Greece has an embassy in Bucharest.
- Romania has an embassy in Athens and a consulate-general in Thessaloniki.
See also
- Foreign relations of Greece
- Foreign relations of Romania
- Aromanian Question
- Greeks in Romania
- Romanians in Greece
- Phanariotes
- Greek War of Independence
- Hellenic Union of Romania
- Aromanians in Greece
Further reading
- Paschalis Pechlivanis (2020) "An Uneasy Triangle: Nicolae Ceaușescu, the Greek Colonels and the Greek Communists (1967-1974)." The International History Review
Footnotes
- ^ Sfetas 2001, pp. 23–30.
- ^ Sfetas 2001, pp. 30–31.
- ^ Christopoulos & Bastias 1977, pp. 215–254.
- ^ Sfetas 2001, pp. 33–41.
- ^ Sfetas 2001, pp. 41–47.
- ^ Svolopoulos 1974, pp. 151–155.
- ^ Svolopoulos 1974, pp. 155–162.
- ^ http://www.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/en-US/Policy/Geographic+Regions/South-Eastern+Europe/Balkans/Bilateral+Relations/Romania/ Greece is among the three top investors in Romania, with almost 800 active businesses and invested capital totalling 3 billion euros
References
- Christopoulos, Georgios; Bastias, Ioannis (1977). Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Εθνους: Νεώτερος Ελληνισμός απο το 1881 ως 1913 [History of the Greek Nation: Modern Greece from 1881 until 1913] (in Greek). Vol. XIV. Athens: Ekdotiki Athinon. ISBN 978-960-213-110-7.
- Sfetas, Spyridon (2001). "Το ιστορικό πλαίσιο των ελληνο-ρουμανικών πολιτικών σχέσεων (1866-1913)" [The Historical Context of Greco-Romanian political relations (1866–1913)]. Makedonika (in Greek). 33 (1). ISSN 0076-289X. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- Svolopoulos, Konstantinos (1974). "Το Ελληνορουμανικόν σύμφωνον της 21ης Μαρτίου 1928" [The Greco-Romanian Treaty of 21 March 1928]. Makedonika (in Greek). 14 (1). Society for Macedonian Studies: 151–162. ISSN 0076-289X. Retrieved 8 May 2017.