Treaty of Friendship, Conciliation, and Judicial Settlement between Greece and Italy
- The two Governments undertake to develop and promote
the commerce existing between the two countries. - Italian citizens, subjects and protected persons on their
establishment in Abyssinia, and Abyssinians on their establish-
ment in Italy and its colonies, shall be obliged in respect of their
commerce and work, the necessities of life and subsistence, and
all that concerns the exercise of their professions, commerce
and work, to observe and respect the laws of the State in which
they reside.
It is understood that the provisions of article 7 of the treaty
between the Ethiopian Empire and the French Republic con-
cluded on the 10th January, 1908, shall continue to apply to Ital-
ian citizens, subjects and protected persons in Abyssinia so long
as the said treaty remains in force. - The two Governments undertake to submit to a procedure
of conciliation or of arbitration the questions which may arise
between them, and which they may not be able to decide by the
normal process of diplomacy, without having recourse to force of
arms. Notes shall be exchanged by agreement between the two
Governments relative to the method of selecting the arbitrators. - The present treaty, which shall be registered with the
League of Nations, shall be ratified, and the exchange of ratifica-
tions shall take place at Addis Ababa as soon as possible. - The present treaty shall have a duration of 20 years dating
from the exchange of ratifications. On the termination of that
period it shall be renewable from year to year.
Done in duplicate, both texts being identical, in the official
Italian and Amharic languages. One of the copies shall remain
in the possession of the Italian Government and the other in
that of the Abyssinian Government.
Addis Ababa, August 2, 1928,—Year VI—(The 6th day of
Hamlé of the year 1901 of Grace).
(L. S.) GIULTANO CORA.
(L. S.) TAFARI MACONNEN, Heir to the Throne of
Ethiopia.
4.1262 Treaty of Friendship, Conciliation, and
Judicial Settlement between Greece and Italy
Alliance Members:Italy and Greece
Signed On:September 23, 1928, in the city of Rome. In force until
November 18, 1935.
Alliance Type:Neutrality Pact (Type II)
Source:League of Nations Treaty,no. 2510.
SUMMARY
At the time this treaty was signed, relations between Greece and Italy
had been strained for some time because Italy had backed Turkish
nationalists during the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922). Mussolini’s
new fascist government used the killing of one of its generals at the
border of Greece and Albania as a pretext to demand reparations from
Greece, and Italy followed this demand with a bombing and
occupation of the Greek island of Corfu.
Bilateral relations normalized to some extent, though, with the signing
of this friendship treaty, four months after Italy signed a similar pact
with Greece’s rival, Turkey. As with the Italo-Turkish treaty, this pact
calls for non-aggression and neutrality in the event of conflict and
provides mechanisms for dispute resolution. The pact itself lasted
until Greece joined Turkey and other nations in sanctions against Italy
following its invasion of Ethiopia.Alliance Text
The President of the Hellenic Republic and His Majesty the
King of Italy, having regard to the ties of sincere friendship and
mutual confidence which happily unite the two countries and
desiring by a solemn act to affirm their desire for political and
economic cooperation with a view to contributing towards the
work of general peace,
Being equally desirous of maintaining the state of peace and
political stability in accordance with the principles laid down in
the Covenant of the League of Nations,
Considering that the faithful observance of the methods of
pacific procedure renders it possible to settle disputes without
resort to force, and,
Deeming it to be their duty to contribute towards the estab-
lishment in practice of these principles,
Have decided for this purpose to conclude a Pact of Friend-
ship, Conciliation and Judicial Settlement, and have appointed
as their Plenipotentiaries:
The President of the Hellenic Republic: His Excellency M.
Eleftherios Veniselos, President of the Council of Ministers;
His Majesty the King of Italy: His Excellency Cav. Benito
Mussolini, Head of the Government, Prime Minister Secretary
of State, Minister Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;
Who, having communicated their full powers, found in good
and due form, have agreed on the following provisions:
Article 1. The two High Contracting Parties reciprocally
undertake to lend each other mutual support and to cooperate
cordially for the purpose of maintaining the order established
by the Treaties of Peace of which they are both signatories, and
of ensuring that the obligations laid down in the said treaties
are respected and fulfilled.
Article 2. Should a Power or Powers make unprovoked attack
on either High Contracting Party, the other Party undertakes to
observe neutrality throughout the conflict.
Article 3. Should the security and interests of either High
Contracting Party be threatened by violent incursions from
without, the other Party undertakes to lend it its political and
diplomatic support with a view to removing the cause of these
threats.
Article 4. In the event of international complications the two
High Contracting Parties undertake, if they agree that their
joint interests are or may be threatened, to consult together as to
the measures to be adopted to safeguard these interests.
Article 5. Greece and Italy undertake to submit to the proce-
dure of conciliation provided for in Articles 8 to 19 below all
questions on which they may differ and which it has not been