President Rashid stresses the need to develop museum institutions worthy of Iraq's heritage

INA- Baghdad

 
President of the Republic Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid stressed on Sunday the need to develop museum institutions worthy of Iraq's heritage.
 
The media office of the President of the Republic said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the ceremony of handing over the artifact belonging to the Assyrian civilization took place at the Baghdad Palace and was received by the president from the Italian side during his visit to the Medieval Civil Museum in Bologna in Italy."
 
The statement added, "The handover ceremony took place in the presence of Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, President of the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage Majid Hussein, and Director General of the Department of Museums Lama Al-Douri."
 
During a press conference held after receiving the artifact, the President of the Republic stressed "the need to be very keen to follow up on the file of the restoration of antiquities, and to continue cooperation efforts in this regard with all friendly and brotherly countries."
 
He pointed to "the need to develop museum institutions that accommodate and befit our great heritage, the heritage of Iraqi civilizations in different eras."
 
He noted that "this piece dates back to the Assyrian civilization," pointing out that "efforts in the government and relevant institutions continue to make progress in working to restore the antiquities belonging to ancient Iraqi civilizations, and this is done in cooperation with the relevant authorities in the governments of friendly countries."
 
"We appreciated the efforts of our Italian friends and their keenness to restore Iraq's antiquities, as well as their contribution to archaeological excavations, in coordination with the competent Iraqi official authorities," he said.
 
He stressed "the keenness to follow up on the file of the restoration of antiquities and continue efforts to cooperate in this regard with all friendly and brotherly countries.
The president offered "his warmest congratulations to journalists in media and press institutions on the occasion of the annual holiday, Iraqi Press Day."
 
For his part, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities expressed his "thanks to the President of the Republic for his continuous interest in restoring the antiquities of Iraq."
 
The minister pointed out that "any effort that returns our antiquities to Iraq is undoubtedly a distinct effort, and this is not the first time that antiquities have been returned to Iraq, as antiquities have already been returned from the United States as well as from Lebanon and Egypt, and this time from Italy, this important artifact dates back to the Assyrian era to the period of Shalmaneser III, one of the most prominent Assyrian kings in the Assyrian state in northern Iraq."
 
He added that "the piece is of great importance because it is an original archaeological and an integrated text is written on it in cuneiform script," explaining that "this artifact will return to its natural place in the museum in Baghdad."