Greece has proposed to the United Nations' general assembly that cultural property should be restored to its country of origin.

Submitted as a draft resolution on November 2, the proposal was made by Greece's permanent representative at the UN, Adamantios Vasilakis.
A vote on the proposal is due in coming days.

"In recent years, the sensitivity of the world community has increased on the issue of the return of works of cultural heritage to their countries of origin, especially when they constitute the product of illegal trade," Vasilakis told the assembly.
"The phenomenon (of illegal trade in artworks) deprives peoples of a part of their historical past, while isolating the works from their natural, cultural and geographical base," he noted.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas visited Russia last week for talks with the minister of industry and energy, Viktor Kristenko, which led to a decision for signature of an inter-state pact by the end of the year allowing construction of a pipeline that will carry Russian oil to Greece via Bulgaria.

"The climate of the meeting was extremely warm, reflecting a decision by the two sides for implementation of the inter-state agreement," the development ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
"This is a project of strategic importance for the region that will benefit the three countries involved as well as global oil markets," said the statement on last Thursday's talks.

Source: Athens News Agency

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