Μake us preferred on Google Greece and the United States renewed their cooperation on the protection of cultural heritage on Wednesday, extending a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for another five years, until 2031.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni met with US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Catherine Dillon in Athens, as part of the 6th Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, taking place this week.
Mendoni and Dillon signed the renewed MoC in the presence of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. Under the agreement, the two countries will continue to impose import restrictions on categories of Greek archaeological and ethnological material for another five-year period. The memorandum, which has been in effect since 2011, has produced significant results in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property and facilitating the repatriation of Greek antiquities.
During the five-year implementation period from 2021 to 2026, 425 cultural objects were returned to Greece, including 98 repatriated under the provisions of the memorandum. Additionally, on September 21, 2026, another 15 Greek antiquities were handed over to Greece by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and its Antiquities Trafficking Unit, according to a statement from the Culture Ministry.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Athens, Mendoni praised the “highly successful partnership”, noting that it had contributed to the return of significant cultural artifacts to Greece.
Returned Antiquities to Go on Display Next Year
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni (R) and US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Catherine Dillon (L) renew a MoC on cultural heritage protection in the presence of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle in Athens, as part of the 6th Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, taking place this week.
To highlight the “major achievements” of the Greece-US partnership, the Greek Culture Ministry is planning an exhibition next year at the National Archaeological Museum featuring some of the cultural objects returned from the United States. The exhibition aims to raise public awareness about the the need to protect cultural heritage and the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, which Mendoni said, has taken on global dimensions.
Greece and the United States also agreed to launch joint initiatives marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence. The initiatives spotlight the historical connections between the American and Greek revolutions as well as the significant contribution of US Philhellenism to the Greek struggle for Independence.
Mendoni and Dillon also discussed prospects for cultural cooperation ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Greek Culture Minister said Greece would loan sculptures to the Getty Museum, and collaborate on the realization of a Cultural Olympiad.
MP
