Alexandros Karapanos

In 1899 he joined the Greek diplomatic corps and became the country’s ambassador in several European capitals during the following years.

In February 1914, when the Great Powers awarded the region of Northern Epirus, which had been under the control of the Greek army, to the Principality of Albania, he moved to Gjirokastër and became Minister of Foreign Affairs in the provisional autonomous government formed by the local Greek population.

After successful negotiations with the representatives of the Great Powers and William of Wied of Albania, in May the Protocol of Corfu was signed which granted full autonomy to Northern Epirus.

[1] Karapanos became MP for Arts in the Greek elections of December 1915, and in 1916 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the official royal government.

Two years later, following the Asia Minor Catastrophe, he disagreed with the policies of the military revolt of September 1922, and rejected an offer to become Prime Minister of Greece.