Greece will soon return to Egypt a group of six confiscated ancient statuettes that are temporarily being kept in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, officials said Tuesday.
A Culture Ministry statement said the works will be “presently” handed over to Egyptian officials in Athens. It provided no further detail on the Egyptian antiquities and the circumstances under which they were seized in Greece.
The announcement was made on the occasion of a visit to Cairo by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, who met Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy. Talks included the exchange of know-how on antiquities conservation, joint archaeological excavations in Greece and Egypt, and fighting the illegal trade in antiquities.