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| The delegations of North Macedonia and Albania and two icons that Albania returned to the neighboring country |
There are 20 icons, part of the cultural heritage, being returned to North Macedonia from Albania after more than a decade, when in 2013 they were seized along with 456 other icons by the state police.
The handover ceremony took place at the premises of the National Historical Museum. Minister of Culture Margariti praised the historic act.
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| Three icons that Albania returned to North Macedonia |
"To arrive at this moment, we have had a long journey, almost a decade; a lot of intra-institutional and international cooperation, and we are pleased to share with you the achieved result, which reinforces our dedication to the fight against trafficking of cultural heritage objects," said Elva Margariti.
The counterpart from North Macedonia appreciated the gesture of the Albanian state.
"In this gesture as an expression of friendship from the Government of the Republic of Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama, and my colleague, Minister Elva Margariti, we recognize not only the political message of respecting the obligations undertaken as a state but much more, we recognize the message of ethical and moral relationship, as well as the appreciation of the protected Macedonian cultural heritage."
The agreement for the return of the 20 icons to their country of origin was signed during the joint government meeting on November 14, 2022, in Skopje, where the icon of "St. Elijah" was symbolically exhibited.