Within the framework of the ongoing efforts of the Libyan State and the National Unity Government to recover Libyan antiquities smuggled abroad, and the role played by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in coordination with the Libyan Antiquities Authority in this field, and in continuation of the efforts undertaken by the Embassy of the Libya State in Washington with the competent American authorities to retrieve Libyan antiquities which came out of the country illegally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs succeeded in recovering a rare artifact called the « Marble Funeral Head », the piece of Libyan origins, as it was transferred illegally and an attempt was made to sell it at an auction in one of the exhibitions in New York City, « Aphrodite Gallery ».
In this regard, Mr. Omar Keti, the Undersecretary for International Cooperation and Organizations, received today 31 of March, Mrs. Marie de Meo, the General Director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and her accompanying delegation, carrying the artifact known as the « Funeral Marble Head. »
In the presence of Dr. Mohamed Al-Shakshuki, the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr. Mohamed Al-Darrat, the Personal Envoy of the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government to the United States, and Mr. Khalid Al-Daif, the Chargé d’Affairs at the Libyan Embassy in Washington, and the Chairman of the Committee for the Recovery of Stolen Funds and Property.
In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expresses its sincere thanks to the concerned American authorities and the efforts made by them, and the distinguished cooperation they have shown with the Libyan Embassy in Washington to recover the Libyan artifact « the Marble Funeral Head » and return it to the homeland, looking forward to further cooperation and coordination in the field of combating antiquities smuggling and protecting human and cultural heritage.