Greece's foreign and public order ministries on Thursday called on Greek citizens crossing into neighboring Albania in order to attend the funeral of an ethnic Greek man, who was killed last month during a shootout with Albanian police, to show "respect and self-restraint".
The funeral for 35-year-old Konstantinos Katsifas - given as "Kacifas" by Albanian authorities - will be held in the southern Albanian village of Bularat / Vouliarates, after Albanian authorities finally released the victim's body to the family.
In a joint statement, the ministries called on Greek citizens to "honor the dead by showing self-restraint and respect to the family and the funeral ceremony."
Police authorities on the Greek side of the border have stepped up checks and inspections of private vehicles and coaches entering Albania as of Wednesday evening. According to reports, Albanian authorities have prevented an unknown number of people from entering the country to attend the funeral.
A church service is set to begin at 12 GMT, with at least 2,000 expected in attendance.
