Greece thanks Albania over military cemetery agreement

TIRANA, Nov 24 – Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis last week praised an agreement with Albania that opens the way for the creation of two military cemeteries in Albania to properly bury the remains of Greek soldiers who fell there during the early stages of World War II.
The agreement was signed November 19 in a “spirit of sincere and constructive cooperation and also the bilateral good understanding that made possible the solution of such a delicate issue for our two countries,” according to a statement from the Albanian foreign ministry.
Tirana was convinced that such an agreement will “contribute to the deepening and further intensification of the excellent relations between our two friendly countries.”
“Greece and Albania initialed an agreement on the creation of two military cemeteries in Albania for the Greek soldiers who fell on the battlefield during the 1940-1941 Greek-Italian war. This settles an issue of particular humanitarian and emotional importance for all Greek people, whose historical memory of this period remains vivid; a milestone in our long-standing struggle for freedom.”
“We would like to express our satisfaction and thanks to the Albanian government and to the Albanian people for their cooperation and understanding, which led to a successful outcome of this decades-old matter,” she added