Bulgaria Received the Mortal Remains of Tsar Samuil—a Historic Act of Friendship Between Bulgaria and Greece

“It is a great honour for me, on behalf of the Bulgarian state, to receive the remains of Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria and see him return to Bulgaria after nearly six decades of efforts.” Prime Minister Rumen Radev said this at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, where he and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took part in the official ceremony marking the transfer of Tsar Samuil’s remains from the Hellenic Republic to the Republic of Bulgaria on October 3.

Radev expressed particular gratitude to his Greek counterpart, Mitsotakis, for the historic agreement, saying it was evidence of the exceptionally high level of good-neighbourly relations between the two countries and would further strengthen their strategic partnership.

“The image of the majestic and tragic Tsar Samuil, who was unable to bear the sight of his suffering soldiers, is one of the most profound historical examples for every Bulgarian. And if Tsar Samuil divided us in the past, today he unites us. Today he makes our strategic partnership even stronger and the ties between our two peoples even closer,” Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.

The Prime Minister stressed that, after more than 1,000 years of clasjes and rivalry, and a turbulent history in the Balkans and Europe marked by highs and lows, wars and victories, Bulgaria and Greece were now entering the next stage in the development and deepening of their bilateral relations.

“Our joint efforts in recent decades and the wisdom of a number of statesmen, scholars, diplomats and ordinary people have contributed greatly to this. We have managed to leave the shadows of the past behind and build trust based on mutual respect and friendship,” Radev said, quoting Socrates as saying that the most important thing in life is to have a true friend.

“In recent decades, we have built an exceptionally strong axis of strategic cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece – an axis of stability, security and prosperity. Our cultural relations are also an extremely important element of this strong axis that we are continually building in our bilateral relations,” Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, expressing hope that cooperation in the field of culture would continue to deepen so that future generations could know their history and take pride in their past.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also confirmed that bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Greece were at their best, highlighting close cooperation in a number of areas, including culture. Mitsotakis, in turn, quoted a Bulgarian proverb that says a good neighbour is closer than a brother.

Photos: Press Office of the Council of Ministers

Following the official ceremony in Thessaloniki, Prime Minister Rumen Radev and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis also held a bilateral meeting.