Former President Ion Iliescu will be buried on Thursday, with military honors, at the Ghencea III Military Cemetery.

On Thursday morning, in the Union Hall at Cotroceni Palace, where the coffin with the lifeless body of the former head of state was deposited since Wednesday, a short religious moment and the Guard ceremony at the catafalque will take place.

Afterwards, the funeral service will be held at the Church in the „Cotroceni Palace” Complex.

After the religious ceremony, the Guard of Honor, made up of soldiers from the 30th Guards Brigade „Mihai Viteazul”, will present the last honor on the Marinescu Plateau. The National Anthem will be sung, and the procession will pass in front of the Guard.

The procession with the coffin of the former president of Romania will then move to the Ghencea III Military Cemetery, along the route of Gheorghe Marinescu Boulevard – Eroii Sanitari Boulevard – Eroilor Boulevard – Bagdasar Street – Panduri Road – Geniului Boulevard – Razoare Street – Sarii Road – Ghencea Boulevard – Ghencea Extension – Cooperative Road – Ghencea III Cemetery.

At the entrance to the cemetery, the coffin will be placed on a cannon stand and the honor guard will be presented.

The funeral will take place only in the presence of family and close friends.

Thursday was declared a day of national mourning, and Romanian flags were flown at half-mast.

Ion Iliescu was head of state of Romania between 1990 – 1992, 1992 – 1996 and 2000 – 2004.

He died on Tuesday at the ”Agrippa Ionescu” Hospital in the capital. Ion Iliescu was 95 years old.

AGERPRES