Greece agrees to return remains of medieval tsar to Bulgaria

Greece Agrees to Return Medieval Tsar Samuel’s Remains to Bulgaria

Historic Accord Between Greece and Bulgaria

ATHENS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Greece will return to Bulgaria the remains identified as those of Bulgarian medieval ruler Tsar Samuel under an accord signed on Tuesday that also provides for the transfer of other historic and religious artefacts between the two Balkan neighbours.

Significance of the Agreement

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the accord as a "historic agreement" and said the return of Samuel's remains ended six decades of efforts by Sofia to bring them home after their discovery in Greece in 1965.

Tsar Samuel: A National Hero

• Samuel, or Samuil, reigned from 997 to 1014 during the First Bulgarian Empire and is deemed a national hero by Bulgarians for struggling to preserve his country's independence from the neighbouring, Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire.

Discovery and Preservation of the Remains

• Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos discovered Samuel's remains during excavations at the Basilica of Saint Achillios on an island in Prespa Lake in northern Greece. They had been stored in Thessaloniki's Museum of Byzantine Culture in recent years.

Details of the Memorandum of Understanding

Exchange of Religious Relics

• Under the Memorandum of Understanding, signed on Tuesday by the culture ministers of Greece and Bulgaria, Athens will receive nearly 50 religious relics that were removed to Bulgaria during World War One.

Official Handover Ceremony

Event Details and Attendees

• Bulgaria's Radev and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis are expected to attend an official ceremony for the handover of Samuel's remains on October 3 at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.

(Reporting by Stoyan Nenov; Writing by Antonis Pothitos; Editing by Gareth Jones)