Greece Plans Return of Tsar Samuel’s Remains

Greece and Bulgaria have agreed to return the remains of Tsar Samuel to Bulgaria after years of negotiations, resolving an issue of deep historical and symbolic importance to the two countries. Samuel ruled from 997 to 1014, and his remains, discovered in the 1960s at the Basilica of St. Achillios in the Prespa region, are held at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. Under the reported arrangement, Bulgaria will return Greek religious relics taken from monasteries during World War I. Bulgaria’s prime minister announced a public welcome ceremony in Sofia for October 3; the transfer also required approval from the Greek Orthodox Church.