Kosovo and Albania: A Special Relationship

by Liridon Lika (Editor)

Overview

This book offers an original analysis of relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Albania, with a particular focus on the 2008–2025 period. It provides an inside perspective bringing together scholarly contributions from academics, researchers, and diplomats from both countries. As Kosovo and Albania are inhabited by an overwhelming majority of ethnic Albanians, relations are fraternal, deep, and extensive, with the two states signing numerous agreements and memoranda in the political, economic, educational, cultural and security fields. This special relationship is explored through innovative and multidisciplinary approaches, thus making the study both timely and relevant.

The book will be of key interest to scholars, diplomats, and students focusing on Political Science, International Relations, History, Kosovo’s foreign policy, Albania’s foreign policy, and Southeast Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781041024941
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/20/2025
Series:	Southeast European Studies
Pages:	214
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Liridon Lika, PhD, is a lecturer and a researcher at the Center for International Relations Studies (CEFIR) in the Department of Political Science at the University of Liège (ULiège) in Belgium.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

Contributors

Foreword – Enika Abazi

Acknowledgments – Liridon Lika.   

1.     Introduction: The Historical and Current Socio-Political Contexts of Kosovo–Albania Relations

Liridon Lika

 2.    Kosovo, Albania, and the Great Powers: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis of State Borders

Liridon Lika

 3.    Albania and Kosovo, Commonalities and Differences in the Government Systems and Models of Representative Democracy

Afrim Krasniqi

 4.    Security Cooperation between Kosovo and Albania

Ramadan Ilazi and Fisnik Rexhepi

5.    Kosovo and Albania: A Fraternal and Challenging Relationship

Sylë Ukshini

6.    “We’re One, but We’re Not the Same”: Statehood, Memory and Identity in the Kosovo–Albania Relations

Bekim Baliqi

 7.    Kosovo and Albania: The Meaning and Difference between “Ethnic Albania” and “Greater Albania”

Daut Dauti

 8.    Exploring Socio-Economic Gender Gaps Between and Within Kosovo and Albania

Sidita Kushi

 9.    The Role of the Albanian Diaspora in Kosovo–Albania Relations

Miftar Kryeziu

 10.   Conclusion: Assessment and Perspectives of Kosovo–Albania Relations

Liridon Lika

 Index

Editorial Reviews

Endorsements

“In international representations, the relation between the two Albanian states in the Balkans is often construed as problematic. A new generation of local scholars, who have started to make their inroads in international theoretical and critical approaches, show that the close relations between Kosovo and Albania are both obvious and special. More importantly, they make a good case in International Relations and Southeast European studies, focusing on how both states interact to ensure security, economic development, and integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. They provide original insights, enhancing understanding and enriching academic discourse on these relations between different states within a same nation.”

Albert Doja, Statutory Professor of Anthropology, University of Lille, France

“The book Kosovo and Albania: A Special Relationship, edited by Liridon Lika, offers an engaging, original, and important contribution to academic literature. In the last two and a half decades, there has been an exponential increase in the number of publications on the Western Balkans, thus mirroring the changing geopolitical scene in this part of the European continent. Out of the two countries examined herein, Kosovo particularly has received considerable attention, mostly because of its unique trajectory from war to peace and then independence. Albania, too, has gone through a remarkable and, at times, painful transition. This book builds on such literature, but also relies on rich and often first-hand empirical data, to offer a multi-disciplinary perspective to examining the bilateral relations of two states that have so much in common. The book therefore presents a welcome novelty for scholarly literature, since this has not been done before in such a systematic, academic, and in-depth manner.”

Armend Bekaj, Researcher on Peace and Conflict, Uppsala University, Sweden

“This book is an essential and innovative contribution to the academic study of Kosovo–Albania relations, offering an original, in-depth analysis that fills a significant gap in the existing literature. It provides a comprehensive examination of the unique bond between the two states, exploring their political, social, and historical ties through a multidisciplinary lens that has not been systematically applied before. As one of the first books to analyze Kosovo–Albania relations post-2008, it offers fresh perspectives and valuable insights for scholars, diplomats, students, and policymakers. With its thorough qualitative analysis, the book serves as an indispensable resource and a vital reference for both academic and practical applications.”

Dorina Bërdufi, Professor of Political Science, Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës, Albania

“Kosovo and Albania: A Special Relationship provides an insightful and original overview of the trajectory and contemporary dynamics of the special relationship between Kosovo and Albania. As such, this edited volume makes an invaluable empirical contribution to an important yet underexplored topic. With its in-depth, interdisciplinary approach, this book is set to become a uniquely helpful resource for students and scholars interested in the comparative politics and international relations of Kosovo and Albania.”

Pëllumb Kelmendi, Professor of Political Science, Auburn University, United States of America

“Liridon Lika’s book offers an insightful and comprehensive analysis of the historical and contemporary dynamics between Kosovo and Albania. This must-read volume is a valuable academic contribution to understanding the relations between these two European states inhabited overwhelmingly by ethnic Albanians. The well-researched and innovative empirical, theoretical, and methodological approaches make the book an important resource for researchers, students, policymakers, and anyone interested in Kosovo and Albania, as well as Southeastern Europe.”

Shkëndije Geci Sherifi, Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to Sweden

From the Publisher