Belgium on Saturday sent Egypt two ancient Egyptian artifacts that had been smuggled out of the country.

The recovered artifacts include a colored limestone statue of a standing man resting on a base dating back to the Old Kingdom, and another ushabti figurine made of faience that dates back to the Late Period.

They were received by the Egyptian ambassador to Belgium, Khaled al-Baqly, in a ceremony organized by the Belgian Ministry of Economy according to the precautionary measures applied to confront the coronavirus.

The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy and Labor of Belgium, in addition to a number of Belgian government officials.

A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that this is part of Egypt’s tireless efforts to restore all antiquities smuggled abroad to preserve the nation’s heritage.

The Foreign Ministry cooperated with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Office of the Public Prosecutor to help bring the artifacts bring. The statement also credited the continued efforts of the Egyptian embassy in Brussels with the competent Belgian authorities to retrieve the smuggled artifacts.

Baqly stressed that this event represents the distinguished relations between Egypt and Belgium, and paves the way for more coordination especially in recovering smuggled Egyptian antiquities.

The Egyptian ambassador in Brussels also invited the Belgian people to visit the tourist destinations in Egypt and get acquainted with the history of the ancient Egyptian civilization that has long represented a tributary of science, culture and art worldwide and throughout history.

Baqly praised the efforts made by the various Egyptian authorities, whether the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office who worked together in order to recover the artifacts and will continue working to recover other smuggled antiquities next.