Greek authorities have begun excavations in the Përmet area to open another mass grave suspected of belonging to the remains of Greek soldiers who fell during the Italo-Greek war in World War II, during 1940-1941. 

The Albanian-Greek joint commission has ordered the opening of a plot positioned next to the stadium of Përmet. The plot that started to open yesterday is expected to extend with a length of 80 × 40 meters. 

Representatives of the Greek diplomatic corps accredited in Tirana, as well as the Prefecture of Gjirokastra, were present at the beginning of the work for the exhumation of the fallen soldiers. It is thought that in this plot there is a mass grave of Greek soldiers, who according to the joint commission, are estimated to have buried over 100 bodies and even more. 

Agreement 

The agreement between Albania for the exhumation of Greek soldiers killed during the Second World War was reached in October 2017. After the agreement was reached, the parties agreed on the reconfiguration of the two cemeteries agreed upon earlier in 2009, of Bularat and Këlcyrë, which will have the status of a historic cemetery.

Memorial ceremonies will take place on October 28, with state protocol. There will be no other resting place other than these two cemeteries. 129 points have already been identified in which Greek soldiers are buried, where the largest is the Dragot Field, where it is estimated that there are more than 1400 buried bodies and where the search will begin. Excavations will begin on January 22, 2021. DNA samples of the bones found will be compared with those of family members to determine the identity, a procedure that will also apply to servicemen with identification numbers. Greece estimates that the number of fallen soldiers on Albanian soil is from 8000- 9000 people. 

According to the preliminary agreement, a cross or a national symbol with defined dimensions will be placed on each grave in the cemetery. In cases where there will be no identification of the bones, they will be placed in the mural format without labeling. The cost of the work for the exhumation or disinfection of each body will be 75 euros, which of course will be paid by the Greek government. The Italo-Greek war lasted from October 1940 to April 1941. It began as Italy's aggression against the Greek state and ended with German intervention in the Balkans. For a considerable time (November 14, 1940-26 March 1941) it took place within the Albanian territory, in which 15 Greek divisions and 27 Italian divisions operated. The Italians exhumed and then withdrew the remains of their soldiers in the years 1958-1960, after the agreement between Albania and Italy dated 22.11.1957.