LANGUAGE RIGHTS AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN BALKANS

The article will analyze the present state of the language rights and linguistic minorities in Albania in comparison to the neighboring countries, Montenegro, FYROM, Kosovo, Greece, particularly after the fourth report submitted by Albania to the Council of Europe in 2016 on the protection of national minorities within the Framework Convention. The aspects taken into consideration will not be only the use of the languages/dialects/varieties spoken by the national minorities freely, both orally and in writing, in private life and individual relations, but also in community life i.e. within the framework of institutions, social activities and economic life. Based on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, particularly Part III, but also on official documents, internal laws, international agreements signed and ratified by these countries, our analysis will assess the language rights of the national minorities in these particular countries.