Egypt’s ambassador to France, Ehab Badawi, signed documents to recover eight antiquities, originating from ancient Egypt, from the concerned French authorities.
According to a statement by the embassy on Saturday, the French customs authorities seized the artifacts in January 2010 in Gare du Nord train station in Paris with one of the passengers headed to London.
The experts from the Egyptology Department at the Louvre Museum have confirmed the archaeological value of the pieces. In December 2014, the investigation authorities decided to confiscate these pieces and transfer them to the French state (French Customs and then the Ministry of Culture), to return to Egypt upon request in accordance with the provisions of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.
Badawi expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the level of cooperation between the two sides in the field of combating illegal trade in cultural holdings and protection of cultural heritage, noting the level of bilateral relations is distinguished between the two countries.
He stressed the importance of continuing close cooperation between the two countries, thanking the French authorities and praising their commitment to the provisions of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.
Edited Translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
