The Greece-Bulgaria agreement was signed: Assessments and reservationstranslated

The official handover protocol was signed today at the Byzantine Museum of Thessaloniki following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Culture of Greece and Bulgaria, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Bulgarian counterpart Roumen Radev. As part of the agreement, 48 stolen sacred relics from the Churches and Monasteries of Serres and Drama will be returned to our country, while the bones of Tsar Samuel will be returned to Bulgaria.

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Estimates and caveats "There are now 48 objects of inestimable cultural, intellectual, and emotional value returning to our homeland", emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his speech at the Byzantine Museum of Thessaloniki, on the occasion of the signing of the protocols of the cultural exchange agreement between Greece and Bulgaria.

While at another point he stated that "monuments, historical relics, cannot be treated as spoils of war, nor as victims of circumstances subsequent to their creation".

For the Church of Greece, this issue, which always...