Brussels: Egypt's Ambassador to Belgium Ahmed Abu Zeid has received two smuggled artifacts in an official ceremony held at the Art and History Museum in Brussels. The event marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to repatriate cultural heritage items that have been illegally removed from Egypt. According to State Information Service Egypt, the recovery of these artifacts is the result of cooperation and coordination between the Egyptian Embassy in Brussels and Belgian authorities, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy, as well as the federal prosecutor's office. The artifacts recovered include a gilded wooden sarcophagus from the Ptolemaic era and a beard of a wooden statue dating back to ancient Egyptian civilization. During the ceremony, Ambassador Abu Zeid emphasized Egypt's commitment to restoring smuggled artifacts in line with the 1970 UNESCO Convention. He expressed gratitude to Belgian authorities for their collaboration in the recovery process. The ambassador also highligh ted the importance of continued partnership with Belgium in retrieving Egyptian antiquities and increasing awareness about the illicit trade of cultural property, which is vital to preserving the world's shared human heritage.