Greece is sending a Canadair CL-415 aircraft to Albania to assist in the large fire on the island of Sasona (Σάσωνα, Albanian: Sazan) at the entrance to Bay of Avlona (Αυλώνα, Albanian: Vlorë).
The Albanian authorities applied through the European Civil Protection Mechanism for assistance and Greece responded immediately, as ordered by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Stylianidis.
Greece made available CL-415 aircraft, which has already left for Albania.
It is noted that Greece has assisted Albania many times, both to deal with forest fires by sending air means (2017), and in cases of floods (2017) and earthquakes (2019).
In 1864, the island was ceded to Greece along with the rest of the Ionian Islands. It was considered part of Diapontia Islands.
But Greece did not occupy it, and it came under the de facto control of the Ottomans.
It was not until the First Balkan War, in 1912, that Greece landed soldiers on the island and formally claimed it, calling it Sasona (Σάσωνα).
After the end of the Second Balkan War in 1913, Italy and Austria-Hungary pressed Greece to evacuate the southern part of modern Albania and the island. Due to the risk of starting a war with Italy, Greece evacuated it.
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