Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said Egypt will do its best to stop the illegal traffic of antiquities within the Middle East, adding that Iraqi artifacts had been seized at an Egyptian border crossing and returned to Iraq.
During a speech on Wednesday, delivered at the opening of the conference in Cairo, devoted to combating the destruction of monuments, the minister called on UNESCO to intervene through legislative amendments, particularly with regard to Article 6 of th law issued in 1970, which represents an obstacle for countries who own antiquities.
“There is something called "monument laundering," when an artifacts is taken to another country, where it gets a legal selling bond to be recognized internationally,” he added.
Meanwhile, UNESCO Chief Irina Bokova highlighted the need for a suitable vision to protect the Middle East and combat the theft of antiquities. She described the destruction and looting of monuments as "warfare."
She mentioned a number of international discussions aimed at amending the 1970 law, adding that the protection of antiquities is not only a cultural issue, but also a security one.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
