Standing over the grave of Zoran Djindjic on Saturday, and addressing the assassinated Serb prime minister, Foreign Minister George Papandreou vowed that Greece would do all possible to get Serbia into the European Union.

"I swear to you, Zoran, that our vision of Serbia joining the European Union will become reality. As a Greek I swear eternal friendship with the Serb people," a moved Papandreou said. He was representing Greece and the EU presidency. Hundreds of thousands attended the funeral at Belgrade's Saint Sava Cathedral.

Papandreou and his aides played a key role in helping Djindjic and the Serb opposition topple Slobodan Milosevic from the Serb leadership in 2000. Greeks and Serbs have enjoyed a strong friendship over centuries. Both are Orthodox Christian nations which fought wars of liberation against the Ottoman Empire. Greece was Yugoslavia's greatest supporter in the EU during Milosevic's reign, but Papandreou's Foreign Ministry helped oust the Yugoslav leader and maintained close ties with the new government.

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