International support to recover all the Iraqi smuggled antiquities

INA – BAGHDAD
 
The Ministry of Culture confirmed on Monday, that it is proceeding with the recovery of all smuggled antiquities outside Iraq, indicating that it has a red list of smuggled antiquities in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Iraqi Interpol and Iraqi embassies abroad.
 
"The antiquities recovery file is one of the ministry's priorities, and we are proceeding with the recovery of all smuggled antiquities outside Iraq," said the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, Qassim Al-Sudani, in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency – INA.
 
He noted that "there are antiquities that escaped after 2003 from the Iraqi Museum, bearing museum numbers. There is a red list of these antiquities and follow-up by the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Iraqi Interpol and Iraqi embassies abroad. We are following up with public and secret auctions.”
 
"The antiquities that were smuggled via random excavations from heritage sites are difficult to follow, but Iraqi technicians and experts know it well and there is cooperation with friendly countries to follow them up,” he explained, adding “Iraq was able to get an important decision from international security to criminalize the trade in Iraqi antiquities, and oblige neighboring countries not to allow their passage through their territories."
 
Al-Sudani highlighted the ministry's efforts “in the recovery of more than 17,000 artifacts of Iraq from the United State, as the antiquities arrive successively and will be displayed in the Iraqi Museum."