Egypt and Australia signed documents for the return of 17 rare Pharaonic artifacts to Cairo.
These artifacts date back to various periods of ancient Egyptian civilization.
The signing took place on Wednesday during a meeting between Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Arts, Cyber Security, and Leader of the Government in the Australian House of Representatives, Tony Burke and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs Nabil Habashi, accompanied by Egypt’s Ambassador to Australia Hani Nagi.
The meeting was part of the Deputy Minister’s official visit to Canberra.
‘If something is stolen, it should be returned’
“It was my absolute honor to meet with His Excellency Nabil Habashi, Egypt’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates and hand back 17 stolen archaeological objects to Egypt,” Burke said in a Facebook post.
“What makes it really special, is that the return takes place in the year marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Australia. It’s really simple, if something is stolen, it should be returned,” he added.
Habashi witnessed the handover ceremony of an artifact voluntarily returned by an Australian citizen in Melbourne, in coordination with the Australian side.
He affirmed that this step showcases deep appreciation for the ancient Egyptian civilization and the success of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ efforts – in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities – to recover Egypt’s cultural heritage.
This also reflects Australia’s interest in strengthening cultural cooperation with Egypt, particularly incombating antiquities smuggling and protecting cultural property, Habashi noted.
He noted the deep trust and mutual respect between both countries, particularly regarding the preservation of shared human heritage.
He explained that this decision is the result of the follow-up by the Egyptian Embassy in Canberra and the Consulate in Sydney on the case, which has been before the Australian courts since 2019.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
