Source: The official website of President Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi
His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council, renewed his commitment to partnering with the international community and global cultural institutions in order to protect the human cultural heritage. He also reiterated his commitment to recover Yemeni artifacts that are being looted due to the dire war conditions imposed by the brutal Houthi coup.
In this context, the President of the Presidential Leadership Council expressed Yemen’s leadership, government and people gratitude, for recovering fourteen valuable Yemeni artifacts from New Zealand.
His Excellency said at a ceremony organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, to hand over new Yemeni artifacts, “This is a historic moment in which we witness the recovery of fourteen valuable artifacts that were in New Zealand.”
At the ceremony, which was attended by Tim Lenderking the US Special Envoy to Yemen, a group of interested parties, members of the Yemeni community and representatives of the US government, His Excellency the President expressed his deep appreciation to the Haig family from New Zealand, who took the initiative to communicate with the government and were keen to give back these precious artifacts to our ancient Yemeni people.
He also expressed his thanks to the governments of the United States of America and New Zealand for their efforts to recover these pieces. His Excellency welcomed the Metropolitan Museum’s hosting of these artifacts temporarily, with the aim of preserving, studying and displaying them to the large audience in New York.
His Excellency the President said, “These precious artifacts traveled thousands of kilometers in smuggling, but they have returned today as a witness to the civilizations that flourished in the land of Yemen thousands of years ago. They have returned to tell the world chapters of the history of our ancestors and document the genius of the Yemeni people in the fields of art, crafts and culture.”
The President of the Presidential Leadership Council considered this cooperation a golden opportunity to strengthen bridges of understanding between cultures, and to emphasize the importance of preserving the common cultural heritage of humanity.
The President stressed that this step would not have been achieved without the coordination and cooperation between the Yemeni, American and New Zealand authorities, which reflects a deep commitment to preserving the world’s cultural heritage.
The President expressed his great regret for the looting and destruction of Yemeni heritage due to the war of the terrorist Houthi militias supported by the Iranian regime.
He added, “Nevertheless, we are hopeful that the partnership and cooperation between our country and global cultural institutions, including this ancient museum, will continue and flourish in the future to protect and promote Yemeni heritage.
The President concluded his speech by calling on “everyone to be guardians of heritage, because appreciating the past is the guarantee for the future.”
At the ceremony, Mr. Tim Lenderking, the US envoy to Yemen, Mr. Max Hollin, the Director of the Metropolitan Museum, and Dr. Kim Benzel, the curator of the Near East Pavilion at the museum, spoke about the importance of the Yemeni-American partnership in protecting Yemeni cultural heritage as one of the most important bridge in human civilization in the world.
The speeches referred to the civilizational value of the artifacts that were loaned to the Metropolitan Museum, which likely date back to the era of the Qatabanian state, whose capital flourished in Shabwa Governorate.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohammed Al-Hadrami, the Yemeni Ambassador to the United States.
