[MSN] Greece said on Wednesday it would step up its campaign for the return of allegedly looted Greek antiquities in foreign museums, following a groundbreaking initial deal with the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

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Greece wants artefacts returned from museums 

    June 08 2006 at 10:47AM  
 
Athens - Greece said on Wednesday it would step up its campaign for the
return of allegedly looted Greek antiquities in foreign museums, following a
groundbreaking initial deal with the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

"We are making moves on other issues, on other artifacts in other parts of
the world," Culture Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis said.

The minister did not say which museums or ancient artifacts Greece would be
targeting.

"There is a long list of items that Greece is in a position to seek, and
some action has been taken regarding these," Voulgarakis said.

"But I am not yet in a position to make specific announcements."

During a visit to Greece last month, Getty Museum director Michael Brand
agreed to recommend to the museum's board to return ancient artifacts in its
collections that Greece claims were illegally spirited out of the country.

Greece is pressing for the return of four pieces - a gold wreath dating from
about 400BC, a 6th-century BC statue of a young woman, a votive relief and a
funerary slab.

But Brand and Greek officials have not said which artifacts were expected to
be returned.

Greece claims the four objects are among thousands of antiquities believed
to have been illegally exported as part of a booming trade in the country's
priceless archaeological heritage.

Brand and Voulgarakis issued a joint statement in May indicating that Greece
would be prepared to offer the United States museum long-term loans of Greek
antiquities as part of the deal.

Greek police have launched a crackdown on antiquities smuggling. - Sapa-AP 

 http://www.iol.co.za/