Iraq displays several ancient artifacts it said were returned by the US and other countries , long after they were looted and smuggled out after the US invasion in 2003, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Iraqi authorities are scrambling to recover thousands of archaeological relics that have disappeared since the invasion, which was followed by widespread looting in the country considered by some historians to be the cradle of civilization.
The recently recovered relics were handed over by Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein to Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed al-Badrani at a ceremony in Baghdad.
Most of the artifacts on display at the Foreign Ministry headquarters were returned from the US after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's visit to Washington in April, Badrani noted.
He also said other relics had been returned from other countries, without elaborating.
Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein announced that more "rare archaeological collections" will be returned from Switzerland and Japan this month.