Plans to establish a Vatican-style sovereign state for Albania’s Bektashi community are entering a new phase, with preparations reportedly underway for passports, a possible currency and diplomatic representation abroad.
A new report published by French intelligence-focused outlet Intelligence Online on August 18 says leaders of the Bektashi Order are intensifying preparations for the proposed sovereign enclave in Tirana, less than two years after Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama first announced the project.
According to the report, the Albanian authorities could officially formalize the project in the coming months.
The proposed state, formally referred to as the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order, would be located around the World Headquarters of the Bektashi Order in Tirana. Its planned territory covers approximately 11 hectares, making it significantly smaller than Vatican City and potentially the smallest sovereign state in the world if it is ultimately established.
Rama first publicly announced the plan in September 2024, saying Albania wanted to transform the Bektashi World Headquarters into a sovereign entity modeled in part on the Vatican. In a speech at the United Nations, Rama described the project as an effort to create a new center of moderation, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The project has since remained under discussion, with the Bektashi leadership working on what the future entity could look like.
One of the latest developments concerns a potential currency. According to Intelligence Online, Bektashi leaders are considering issuing coins using a currency called the “bek,” which could be linked to the price of gold. Future Bektashi authorities would also reportedly issue passports.
The proposed state is also beginning to develop an international network.
Intelligence Online reports that representatives are being appointed abroad under the direction of Kreshnik Grezda, described as the project’s ambassador general. Representatives are reportedly being established in countries including the United States, France and Belgium.
In the United States, Christopher Hyland has reportedly been selected as a representative. Hyland is a New York-based entrepreneur who has been active in the Balkans and previously served as an adviser to Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Hazis Vardar, a Belgian entrepreneur of Albanian origin, is reportedly representing the Bektashi project in France and Belgium.
Bektashi leader Baba Mondi, whose real name is Edmond Brahimaj, has also continued receiving foreign delegations at the Bektashi World Headquarters in Tirana.
According to the latest Intelligence Online report, representatives of Israel’s Foreign Ministry were among the foreign officials who visited Baba Mondi late last year. The report presents these meetings as part of the Bektashi leadership’s broader effort to establish international contacts ahead of a possible sovereign status.
The idea is rooted in the unique position of the Bektashi Order in Albania. The Bektashis are a Sufi Islamic order whose World Headquarters has been based in Tirana since 1930. The Albanian government has repeatedly highlighted the community’s historical role in Albanian culture and national identity.
In January 2025, Rama again defended the proposal, arguing that the Bektashi heritage represents an important part of Albania’s history and supporting a sovereign status for the World Headquarters.
However, the proposed state does not yet exist.
Creating a sovereign entity inside Albania would require a legal and constitutional process. Albania’s Constitution currently defines the country as a “unitary and indivisible state,” meaning that establishing a sovereign enclave would require constitutional changes approved by Parliament.
There is also an important distinction between the Bektashi project and the Vatican. The Vatican City is an internationally recognized sovereign state with its own government and diplomatic relations. The Bektashi entity remains a proposal, and its eventual international recognition would depend on decisions by Albania and other states.
The project’s supporters argue that the proposed state would give the Bektashi World Headquarters a stronger international role while promoting the order’s message of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
For now, the project remains one of the most unusual state-building proposals in Europe. But with preparations reportedly moving toward passports, a possible “bek” currency and diplomatic representation, the idea first announced by Rama in 2024 appears to be entering a more practical phase.
