NEW DELHI: The Australian government on Wednesday announced that it will return three culturally significant artefacts to India during PM Narendra Modi’s visit in January next year.
“Like India, we understand the value of our ancient cultures and artefacts. The return of these artefacts is the right thing to do. This is another demonstration of the deep relationship between Australia and India,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
The artefacts were held by the National Gallery of Australia. The artefacts to be returned include a pair of door guardians (dvarapala) from the 15th century and the serpent king (Nagaraja) from 6th-8th century.
India and Australia are party to UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transport of Ownership of Cultural Property.