Mihal Kasso or Michael Kassos ( el, Μιχαήλ Κάσσος) was a Greek politician, member and chairman of the

Albanian Parliament The Parliament of Albania ( sq, Kuvendi i Shqipërisë) or Kuvendi is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Albania; it is Albania's legislature. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members elected to a ...

, as well as representative of the Greek community in Albania. Kasso was born of Greek origin in the village of

Sheper Sheper (definite form: ''Sheperi'') is a community in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. Sheperi is the largest village of the former Zagori, Albania, Zagori municipality. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipali ...

, Zagoria, then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

(modern southern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

). In 1914, he supported the pro-Greek party, that established the

Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus ( el, Αὐτόνομος Δημοκρατία τῆς Βορείου Ἠπείρου, translit=Aftónomos Dimokratía tis Voreíou Ipeírou) was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aft ...

and struggled against annexation of the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

to the newly established Albanian Principality. With the incorporation of Northern Epirus to Albania he managed to gain influence in Albanian politics. In 1923 he became a member of the

for the Gjirokaster District. He supported

Ahmet Zogu Zog I ( sq, Naltmadhnija e tij Zogu I, Mbreti i Shqiptarëve, ; 8 October 18959 April 1961), born Ahmed Muhtar bey Zogolli, taking the name Ahmet Zogu in 1922, was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's y ...

, who was elected as the first President of Albania in 1925. That year and for a short period, Kasso became chairman of the Albanian Parliament. Soon later he was positioned ambassador of Albania in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. Kasso, together with other representatives of the Greek minority in the Albanian Parliament, supported the educational rights of the Greeks in Albania.

References

Year of death missing Members of the Parliament of Albania Ambassadors of Albania to Greece Northern Epirus independence activists Albanian people of Greek descent Year of birth missing Politicians of the Ottoman Empire Greeks from the Ottoman Empire People from Libohovë {{Albania-politician-stub