The Italian foreign ministry on Thursday reaffirmed it its commitment to recovering from Serbia eight important Italian works of art that were smuggled out of the country during World War II.
The eight masterpieces, illegally purchased by Hermann Göring in 1942, include works by Titian, Tintoretto, Carpaccio, and Domenico Veneziano, which are currently exhibited at the National Museum of Serbia in Belgrade, the ministry stated.
"We want to bring these eight POWs back home,” said foreign minister Angelino Alfano.
“We are confident that the Serbian authorities, with which we have established positive contacts within a very longstanding friendly relationship, will be willing to join our effort to undertake a path of tangible cooperation.”
Future steps to relaunch Italy's request to Serbia for international judicial assistance were agreed in a meeting coordinated by the director general for international judicial cooperation, Luigi Vignali, which was attended by representatives of the foreign, justice and culture ministries, the Office of the Attorney General in Bologna and the Caribinieri police command for the protection of cultural property, the ministry said.
.jpg)
.jpg)
