A nine-year-old girl kidnapped by her father and taken to his native Egypt over five years ago returned to Italy on Thursday, the government announced
"Sara Ammar finally arrived back in Italy with her mother this morning, helped by Italy's Ambassador to Egypt," foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said.
Sara's return was the "happy ending" to "intense" negotiations between Italy's foreign ministry and Egypt's authorities, Gentiloni said.
Italy's head of state Sergio Matarella had intervened personally in the case in May, Gentiloni said.
He thanked Egypt for its legal ruling granting custody of Sara to her mother,Sandra Fardella, who has been battling to bring her daughter home since her ex-husband took her to Egypt in January 2010.
Italian authorities also granted custody of Sara to Fardella, who is from Milan.
Fardella travelled to Egypt last year to try and find Sara and in December sent a desperate appeal to Gentiloni threatening to kill herself if her daughter was not returned to her.
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