Switzerland has handed back to Egypt part of a 3,400-year-old statue of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, illegally confiscated in Geneva, the press service of the Swiss government reported.
The fragment of the statue was presented to the Egyptian Embassy in Switzerland by Karin Bachmann, director of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC).
"This restitution underlines the joint commitment of Switzerland and Egypt to combat the illicit trade in cultural property, reinforced in 2011 by the entry into force of a bilateral agreement on the import and return of cultural property," the FOC stressed.
The fragment was stolen in the late 1980s - early 1990s from the temple of Ramses II at Abydos in central Egypt, the press service explained.
It transited through different countries before arriving in Switzerland.
Ramses II was the third ruler of the XIX dynasty of ancient Egypt. He ascended the throne at the age of 25 and is believed to have ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC.
During his reign, advances in astronomy and philosophy were observed, and hundreds of palatial temples erected.