Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake met with the Netherlands Ambassador Bonnie Horbach at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss the repatriation of Sri Lankan antiques, sculptures, and books currently held in the Netherlands.
Ambassador Horbach expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s cooperation and described the initiative as a significant step toward strengthening cultural ties between the two nations, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
The Dutch government has adopted a policy to return colonial-era artefacts to their countries of origin in an effort to foster reconciliation and solidarity. As part of this initiative, the Netherlands has launched a research program and entered into an agreement with Sri Lankan authorities to conduct joint studies on colonial-era artifacts.
The initial phase will involve research into a collection of sculptures housed in the Netherlands, in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Department of National Archives. (Newswire)
