The Hellenic National Defence General Staff announced on Wednesday the establishment of a DNA database with samples from living relatives of the fallen Greek soldiers in WWII to help authorities identify remains in the ongoing process of exhumations in Albania. In its announcement, the General Staff explained the procedure that interested relatives must follow.

Work to locate, exhume and identify the Greek soldiers killed in war operations in Northern Epirus in the period 1940-41 started on January 22 in the Tepeleni. The exhumations follow an interstate agreement between Greece and Albania as well as those agreements signed on December 20, 2017 by a joint experts committee.

The identification procedure of the remains demands two blood samples from living relatives of the fallen soldiers, particularly one sample from the mother’s side and one sample from the father’s side.

More information for those interested are available on www.geetha.mil.gr or they can call the responsible department of the General Staff at the telephone numbers 210-6573274 and 210-6575020.

Source: thegreekobserver