The minister of culture, Natalia Intotero, on Monday participated in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, on which occasion she discussed with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and with the prime minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, about the theft of the treasure items from the Romanian cultural heritage.

„These items are not just heritage objects, but are essential parts of the history and identity of the Romanian people. They represent an invaluable cultural heritage, not only for Romania, but for the entire world. It is a moral duty to protect and recover these symbols of our common past. I have asked the Dutch authorities to pay due attention to this situation and to take all necessary steps to identify the perpetrators of this theft and to return these items home, where they belong,” stated minister Natalia Intotero, according to a press release of the Ministry of Culture.

The minister presented to the Dutch officials the measures taken by the Romanian side, including the establishment of a crisis task force at the governmental level, which coordinates efforts to identify and recover these heritage items.

The Dutch prime minister assured the strong support of the authorities in his country in identifying the perpetrators of this theft and in recovering the artifacts. He also underscored the importance of strengthened European cooperation in protecting the common cultural heritage and combating the illegal trafficking of cultural goods.

The gold helmet from Cotofenesti, dating from the 5th-4th centuries BC, as well as three Dacian gold bracelets from Sarmizegetusa Regia, dating from the second half of the 1st century BC, some of the most important artifacts in Romania’s national heritage, were stolen following a „particularly serious incident” while they were on display at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, the Ministry of Culture announced on Saturday.

AGERPRES