Prime Minister Rumen Radev arrived in Greece early Saturday as part of the events surrounding the return of Tsar Samuel’s mortal remains from Greece to Bulgaria. The Bulgarian delegation headed by Radev included Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov and Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev.
The Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki hosted the official ceremony for the handover of Samuel’s remains. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni also attended the event. The two culture ministers signed and exchanged handover protocols.
The agreement between Sofia and Athens provides for Greece to hand over to Bulgaria the remains identified as belonging to Tsar Samuel (997-1014), discovered at the Basilica of St Achillius on Lake Prespa by Greek archaeologist Prof. Nikolaos Moutsopoulos. Bulgaria, in turn, will hand over 48 church relics to Greece.
At the ceremony, Radev said that the image of Tsar Samuel is one of the deepest historical archetypes for Bulgarians. The Prime Minister reported that he was honoured to be back at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki to receive the remains on behalf of the Bulgarian state. He stated: “And if in the past Tsar Samuel divided us, I can say that today he unites us. Today he makes our strategic partnership even stronger and the ties between our two peoples even closer.”
The Prime Minister recalled that Bulgaria’s efforts to have Samuel’s remains returned date back to the 1970s, when Prof. Moutsopoulos discovered them during excavations of the basilica on the island of Agios Achillios, which was built by the Bulgarian tsar in the late 10th century.
Radev expressed his gratitude to Mitsotakis for his political leadership, wisdom and courage in achieving “this historic agreement for our two countries”.
Mitsotakis said at the ceremony that Athens is fulfilling its historic duty by returning to Sofia the remains of Samuel. He added: “Forty-eight relics of enormous significance to the spiritual and emotional life of our country are returning to Greece – icons, crosses, church vessels and even an episcopal throne. These are relics acquired during the First World War from the Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, as well as from the Monastery of St John the Baptist and the Monastery of Panagia Eikosifinissa.” He stressed that after being displayed at the museum in Thessaloniki, the relics would be returned to their places of origin.
Mitsotakis expressed hope that Saturday’s event would lead to even closer cooperation so that, in his words, “other relics may also be returned to Bulgaria and Greece”.
In an interview with the Bulgarian News Agency on Saturday, archaeologist Prof. Lyudmil Vagalinski of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences described the exchange of Tsar Samuel’s mortal remains and 48 relics between Bulgaria and Greece is good news for Bulgaria and also good news for the Balkan countries.
Tsar Samuel’s Mortal Remains Flown from Greece to Bulgaria 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-03 10:10:00
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news. Bulgaria news, Bulgarian news, news from Bulgaria, latest news Bulgaria, breaking news Bulgaria, Bulgaria today, Bulgarian politics, Bulgarian government. Bulgarian economy, Bulgarian business, Bulgarian society, Bulgarian culture, Bulgarian tourism, Bulgarian sports, Bulgarian media, Bulgarian parliament. Sofia news, Plovdiv news, Varna news, Burgas news, Ruse news, Stara Zagora news, Pleven news, Sliven news. Dobrich news, Shumen news, Pernik news, Haskovo news, Yambol news, Pazardzhik news, Blagoevgrad news, Veliko Tarnovo news. Vratsa news, Gabrovo news, Asenovgrad news, Vidin news, Bulgarian local news, Bulgaria current affairs, Bulgaria breaking news, Bulgaria headlines. Balkan news, Southeast Europe news, Bulgarian international news, Bulgaria world news, Bulgarian elections, Bulgaria events, Bulgaria analysis, Bulgaria updates.Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law.
BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-10-03 10:10:00
