New York, September 23 :
The repatriation of 297 artifacts to India was hailed by US Ambassador Eric Garcetti on Monday as a testament to the "shared commitment" between India and the US to "protect and preserve" cultural heritage.
The United States officially returned 297 stolen or smuggled antiques to India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit. It's encouraging to see the continued dedication of the United States and India to safeguarding cultural artifacts, Garcetti wrote in a Monday post on X.
After the 'Cultural Property Agreement' was signed between India and the US in July last year, he went on to call it another "tangible step" to stop the illegal trade of cultural artworks and other artifacts.
Since the United States and India signed the first-ever 'Cultural Property Agreement' in July to combat the illegal trade in cultural artifacts, the return of these 297 artifacts is a concrete next step in that direction. "#USIndiaFWD," he further said.
Former Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has previously thanked President Joe Biden and the United States administration for returning 297 priceless artifacts to India.
Deepening cultural connections and boosting the battle against criminal trafficking of cultural artifacts were underlined in a post by Prime Minister Modi on X. President Biden and the United States government have my deepest gratitude for returning 297 priceless artifacts to India. "@POTUS @JoeBiden:"
Along with the repatriation of 297 antiques to India during Prime Minister Modi's visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had earlier stated, "Here we were not just talking about not just Vikas but also Virasat."
A terracotta conical vase from Eastern India, a terracotta rattle from Eastern India, approximately 178 terracotta figures from Eastern India, approximately 47 antiquities from North India, sculptures from Jammu and Kashmir, and many more items were returned. Among these artifacts are terracotta vases from Eastern India, Buddha sculptures made of sandstone from UP, bronze Vishnu idols from Eastern India, an anthropomorphic figure from North India, a Jain Tirthankara idol from South India, apsara sculpture from Central India, stone sculptures made of lime stone from South India, apsara sculpture from sandstone from Central India, apsara sculpture from South India, a ceramic conical vase from Eastern India, a terracotta rattle from Eastern India, approximately 47 antiquities from North India, and sculptures from Jammu and Kashmir, among others.
At the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, Prime Minister Modi spoke at the "Modi and US" event earlier on Sunday (local time) in New York. Fifteen thousand people from 42 different states in the Indian diaspora were there to welcome the PM.
Several aspects of India-US relations, people-to-people interactions, and India's increasing worldwide prominence and economic prosperity were discussed by Prime Minister Modi throughout his speech.
As part of his opening remarks, Prime Minister Modi praised the work of Indians living abroad and remarked that Indians, no matter where they are, always give their all. The speaker informed the audience about India's climb to prominence in mobile manufacturing, its transition from importer to exporter, and the widespread use of digital public infrastructure throughout his more than hour-long address. Additionally, he mentioned that the arrival of Made in India chips in the US is imminent.
Prime Minister Modi met with top US business executives later Sunday (local time) to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in innovative fields like artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing (QCM), semiconductors (Silicon Valley), and biotechnology.
On the second day of his three-day trip to America, Prime Minister Modi touched down in New York. There were bilateral discussions between Prime Minister Modi and Presidents Biden of the United States, Albanese of Australia, and Kishida of Japan during Saturday's Quad Summit. 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly in New York today is another platform he will grace with his speech.
