BAGHDAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's culture and foreign ministries announced Tuesday the retrieval of antiquities from Switzerland and Japan.

According to a press release by the Iraqi foreign ministry, the handover ceremony was held in capital Baghdad's Iraqi National Museum, and attended by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Minister of Culture Ahmed Fakak Al Badrani, as well as other Iraqi officials.

"This new year started with the recovery of the statue of the sun god Maran Shamash, and rare Assyrian relics dating back to the eighth century BC, as well as textile paintings from the ancient caves of Al-Tar in Karbala, which were loaned to the Japanese mission since 1975," Hussein was quoted by the release as saying.

"These pieces are not just archaeological remains, but rather represent part of the Iraqi national identity," as they "tell the stories of ancient Iraqi civilizations," he said.

Despite facing complex legal and negotiating challenges, the foreign ministry has recovered tens of thousands of smuggled artifacts, he noted, adding, "this achievement was accomplished through close cooperation with countries and international organizations concerned with preserving cultural property."

"Iraq is continuing its diplomatic approach to recover its national heritage," he added.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi culture ministry said in a statement published on Facebook that it received 27 artifacts dating back to different civilizations, 20 coins dating back to the Sassanian civilization, four other antiquities, and nine pieces of ancient textile paintings recovered from Japan belonging to the Al-Tar Caves.

Many Iraqi antiquities and archaeological sites were looted or destroyed after the U.S. invasion in 2003. Enditem

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