ATHENS – [Photo: Ministry of Culture]
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Catherine Dillon signed on October 7 the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding extending import restrictions on categories of Greek archaeological and ethnological material for another five years, through 2031.
The signing took place in Athens during the 6th Round of the Greece-U.S. Strategic Dialogue and in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle and Ambassador of Greece in the U.S., Antonis Alexandridis.
The memorandum was first signed in 2011 by then Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Acropolis Museum.
“Today, we renewed the Memorandum of Cooperation for the protection of Greek cultural heritage and the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property. This is a particularly successful cooperation, which has contributed decisively to the return of numerous and important cultural objects to Greece, as well as to strengthening cooperation between the competent authorities of the two countries”, Mendoni said.
According to a Culture Ministry press release, 425 cultural objects were returned to Greece between 2021 and 2026, including 98 repatriated under the provisions of the memorandum. An additional 15 Greek antiquities were handed over on September 21, 2026, by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Antiquities Trafficking Unit.
The minister noted that the Culture Ministry, “seeking to highlight the major work accomplished through the repatriations, is planning an exhibition next year at the National Archaeological Museum featuring some of the objects returned from the United States”.
“The exhibition will be accompanied by various activities aimed at informing and raising public awareness of this important problem, which has assumed global dimensions”, she added.
Mendoni and Dillon also discussed joint events to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence.
“Emphasis will be placed on highlighting the relationship between the American and Greek Revolutions, as well as the important contribution of American philhellenism to the struggle for Greek independence”, Mendoni said.
The two officials further discussed opportunities for cultural cooperation in connection with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“The Culture Ministry intends, among other things, to lend sculptures to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and to contribute in various ways to the organization of a Cultural Olympiad. We will continue to work with both the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Athens so that the ideas we discussed today produce tangible results”, Mendoni said.
People-to-People meeting
The signing of the renewed agreement was preceded by a meeting under the People-to-People section of the Strategic Dialogue, attended on the Greek side by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Minister Sofia Zacharaki and Deputy Sports Minister Giannis Vroutsis, and on the US side by Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Catherine Dillon.
According to the Culture Ministry, the meeting was held in a particularly warm and constructive atmosphere, confirming the close ties between Greece and the United States and their firm intention to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture, education and sport.
