The British government agreed Tuesday to support Egypt's Great National Museum to be built on 117 feddans along the Cairo-Alexandria desert road. Visiting British Secretary of Media, Culture and Sport Tessa Jowell said Britain must be proud to take part in this unique cultural project.

UK supports Egypt's grand museum, Egypt State Information Service, Egypt, June 14, 2006.

The Egyptian government wants Germany to return the Nefertiti bust currently at the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. In case Germany does not return the work, they at least want it loaned.

Zahi Hawass, director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, had the idea of at least getting the work on loan in case Germany did not accept to return it. There would be a signed agreement to return the work after a defined period. Next November will be the centennial of the foundation of the German Institute of Archaeology, which would be a good place to make the agreement effective.

So far the Egyptian Museum in Berlin has not responded. Hawass sated, “We do not want (all European countries) to return everything they have on Egypt, only the unique items.” Hawass is currently preparing an international archaeology conference with countries who lost works next year in El Cairo.

Egypt Wants Nefertiti Bust At Least on Loan, Art Daily, Mexico, June 14, 2006.