WWII Greek soldiers remains buried in special ceremony

Greece’s Foreign Ministry announced the burial of Greek soldiers' remains during a symbolic religious ceremony held in a military cemetery of Kelcyre in Albania.

The remains were those of Greek soldiers who fell in Albania during the Greco-Italian war of 1940-1941.

The special ceremony was officiated by Metropolitan Dimitrios of Gjirokaster and was attended by representatives of the Greek Ministry of Defence, the Greek Embassy in Tirana, and the Association of Relatives and Friends of the Fallen.

The ceremony was held with all honours, for the burial of the remains of 85 Greek soldiers who fell in the Greco-Italian war, and whose remains were recovered in the framework of the Greek-Albanian bilateral Agreement of 2009 on seeking, disinterring, identifying and burying the Greek soldiers who fell in military operations in Albania in 1940-1941.

In a statement, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs "expresses its satisfaction that, almost 70 years after their sacrifice, the souls of the fallen Greek soldiers will finally rest in peace, and welcomes this cooperation with the Albanian side on a very sensitive and humanitarian issue, stressing the importance it attaches to the speedy completion of the fieldwork and the full implementation of this Greek-Albanian agreement."