Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on the burial ceremony of the bones of Greek soldiers killed in the Greco-Italian War

In implementation of the agreement reached between Foreign Minister N. Kotzias and the Albanian side in the context of resolving chronic disputes between Greece and Albania, the work that had begun in January in the Dragot region of Albania, for the search and exhumation of Greeks who fell during the Greco-Italian War (1940-1941), was completed. An issue that had troubled Greek-Albanian relations for over 70 years.

Following this, tomorrow, Friday, October 12, 2018, at 12:00, at the Kleisoura Military Cemetery in Albania, a religious ceremony will be held to inter the bones of five hundred and seventy-three (573) Greek fallen soldiers of the Greco-Italian War, in addition to the one hundred (100) more Greek heroes who have already been buried, in a religious ceremony that took place at the military cemetery of Vouliarate, Albania, on July 13, 2018.

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The search and exhumation works will continue in the areas of Kossina, Kleisoura and Premeti, in accordance with the relevant decisions of the Joint Committee of Experts (JCE). This Committee is responsible for the implementation of the relevant Interstate Agreement between Greece and Albania, which provides for the search, exhumation, identification and burial of Greek soldiers who fell in combat operations in Albania during the Greco-Italian War of 1940-1941, as well as the construction of cemeteries on Albanian territory for their burial.

It is noted, especially for the associations of relatives and friends of the deceased, that on October 28, an official ceremony in memory of the fallen will be organized by representatives of the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Albania. Similar ceremonies will be organized on October 28 of each year, in accordance with Article 1§8 of the Interstate Agreement.

The Ministry Of foreign affairs once again welcomes the good cooperation with the albanian side within the framework Of this agreement and expresses its satisfaction that almost 70 years after their sacrifice, the souls of the Greek fallen soldiers will finally rest in peace.