India and U. S. ink agreement on preserving cultural assets

India and the U.S. signed an agreement to prevent the illegal trade of cultural property and facilitate the return of stolen antiquities. This agreement enhances cooperation and fulfills commitments made by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi.

To address the illicit trafficking of cultural property and seek the repatriation of stolen artifacts, the United States of America and India inked the U. S. India Cultural Property Agreement on July 26, 2024. The bilateral understanding was signed by U. S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan during the World Heritage Committee’s 46th session in New Delhi.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Indian Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, thus contributing to the protection of cultural values of both states. It ensures a shared interest in the protection and repatriation of stolen and smuggled artifacts to their rightful countries.

The U. S. Embassy in a statement expressed that it has taken nearly two years of hard work of both countries’ experts to arrive at this culmination and sign this agreement. This venture is in consonance with the pledges made by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the promotion of cultural exchanges, as witnessed in the joint communiqué issued in June 2023.

“The United States has remained firm in its support of the conservation of cultural property and the prevention of cultural property trafficking,” the embassy said. Speaking about the cultural property agreement, Ambassador Garcetti said, “This is about two things: justice – giving back to India and to Indians what belongs to them; second, it is about opening the world to India. Every American and every world citizen should be able to see and appreciate what has been presented to the world today: Indian culture is humankind culture. "

India being the latest to sign this treaty makes it 30 countries that have bilateral agreements with the U. S on cultural property The agreement was done under the U. S law that has been put forward by the 1970 UNESCO convention which seeks to prevent the importation, exportation and transfer of ownership of cultural property.

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This historical deal is likely to further enhance the relations between the two nations – India and the U. S. On the other hand, it will ensure the preservation and rightful restitution of numerous cultural assets to their countries of origin.