Greece returns remains of medieval emperor to Bulgaria

The remains of the medieval Bulgarian ruler Tsar Samuel were returned by Greece to Bulgaria after decades of negotiations, with both authorities and clergy in the Balkan nation welcoming the monarch's return with much fanfare.

Having ruled over Bulgaria from the late 10th to early 11th century, Samuel presided over a period of Bulgarian history when the nation ruled over much of the Balkans.

Serving as a symbol of Bulgarian national identity, Samuel's remains were discovered within Greek borders around six decades ago.

His remains were flown back via military aircraft to the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, and received full state honours including a fighter jet escort and a 21-gun salute.

Members of the public subsequently visited the Church of St. Sophia to view his coffin where they paid their respects.

This after an agreement was earlier reached between Bulgaria and Greece's culture ministries under which the former will return religious relics taken from Greek monasteries during World War I.