Former prime minister and former PASOK leader Costas Simitis was laid to rest at the First Cemetery of Athens on Thursday, following the funeral service at the Athens Metropolis Cathedral.
Simitis was buried with honors of a sitting prime minister. His wife Daphne, daughters Fiona and Marilena, and their families paid their last respects as a funeral march sounded by an Air Force band. The family left white roses and received the folded Greek flag draping the casket.
Attending the burial were President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis and the party's parliamentary group, former ministers and former deputies of PASOK, current and past party officials, the former prime minister's close associates, and friends and fans of the party.
A funeral service had been held earlier at the Athens Metropolis Cathedral, where eulogies were delivered by Greek leaders and colleagues. On its way to the First Cemetery, the funeral cortege stood shortly before the Greek Parliament and the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. An honor guard fired three shots when the casket arrived at the cemetery, where Simitis was laid to rest next to the founder of PASOK Andreas Papandreou.