Secretary Kerry Signs Cultural Property Protection Agreement With Egypt

Notice to the Press
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 29, 2016


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will sign a landmark bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on cultural property protection on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 5:45 p.m. at the U.S. Department of State.

This is the first cultural property protection agreement between the United States and a country in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Under the agreement, the United States will impose import restrictions on archaeological material representing Egypt’s cultural heritage dating from 5200 B.C. through 1517 A.D. Restrictions are intended to reduce the incentive for pillage and trafficking and are one of the many ways the United States is fighting the global market in illegal antiquities.

The cultural property agreement, negotiated by the State Department under U.S. law implementing the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, underscores the United States’ commitment to our relationship with Egypt, as well as our global commitment to cultural heritage protection and preservation. The U.S. now has bilateral agreements with 16 countries around the world, as well as emergency import restrictions on cultural property from two other countries, Iraq and Syria.

For further information, please contact eca-press@state.gov.

Due to space constraints, video cameras will be pooled. The event is open to writers and still photographers; final access is at 5:15 p.m. from the C Street NW entrance.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued photo media credential (e.g., Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), or (2) an official photo identification card issued by their news organization, or (3) a letter from their employer on official letterhead verifying their current employment as a journalist.

Additionally, they must present an official government photo identification card (i.e., U.S. driver's license or passport).