A sensitive issue of Romanian-Greek Interwar relations: the Macedo-Romanians
A sensitive issue of Romanian-Greek Interwar relations: the Macedo-Romanians

Summary/Abstract: The minority issue represented the only ,,dark spot” on the agenda of bilateral relations between Athens and Bucharest during the interwar decades. This paper assesses this contntious issue, mainly concerning the Macedo-Romanians. One apparent solution to ethnic tensions of the period was the voluntary ,,in corpore” migration of some communities of Macedo-Romanians, which have left their native land and settled in Southern Dobroudja, during the interwar decades. This is placed a special emphasios on in this study. A special section of the study is dealing with the status of Greek community in Romania, in the light of new relevant archive documents. The authorities in Bucharest were constantly concerned with the situation of the Macedo-Romanian communities, a special role being played by Romania’s diplomatic representative in Athens, Constantin Langa Răşcanu, whose experience (and continuity) in the Balkans would eventually yield the expected results in the rapprochement between Romania and Greece. We have identified important moments, starting from the first years of the interwar decades (as well as the situation in the aftermath of the Second Balkan War) and going further to diplomatic statements about ethnic minority status by both parties. As a matter of fact, the Macedo-Romanian rights and their treatment by the Greek authorities, although less prominently, continued to be on the agenda of bilateral relations throughout the interwar period.

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