(18 Jan 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Italian Minister of Culture Francesco Rutelli (back to camera) approaching veiled ancient Greek Euphronius vase
2. Cutaway of journalist
3. Rutelli (centre) and other officials including former Minister of Culture Rocco Buttiglione (on left) at podium during news conference
4. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Francesco Rutelli, Italian Minister of Culture:
"We are committed to fighting any crime that influences our relationship with beauty and removes important artifacts from the natural context where they are located, oftentimes still under our feet, thus emptying them of their historical and cultural significance."
5. Culture ministry workers unveiling Euphronius vase UPSOUND: applause
6. Audience clapping
7. Rutelli looking at vase
8. Close up of vase
9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mark Smith, Cultural Affairs Officer for the US Embassy in Rome:
"The ministry of culture here has reached all of these agreements with US museums, that have enabled these wonderful works to come back to Italy and will in the future, I think, enable American museums and Italian museums to cooperate more and more closely with each other."
10. Rutelli and other officials posing for photographs with vase
11. Cutaway of photographers
12. Wide of Rutelli and officials posing for photographs
13. Wide of news conference
STORYLINE
Italy unveiled on Friday one of the most prestigious prizes in its campaign against illegal trafficking in antiquities, a 2,500-year-old vase by Greek artist Euphronius that was returned by the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
The Euphronius Krater - a large vase painted with scenes related to Homer's epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" - is regarded as one of the finest examples of its kind.
The vase was used as a bowl for mixing wine and water.
Italian Minister of Culture, Francesco Rutelli, presenting the artwork in Rome, said it is universally considered the best work by the artist and reiterated his government's commitment to fighting the theft of cultural artifacts.
"We are committed to fighting any crime that influences our relationship with beauty and removes important artifacts from the natural context where they are located," Rutelli told a news conference.
Also attending the ceremony was his predecessor, Rocco Buttiglione, who started the country's high-profile campaign to recover art stolen from its territory.
The vase was at the heart of negotiations with the Met over disputed antiquities and the focal point of an ongoing effort by the Italian government to recover ancient treasures that have ended up in museums or private collections with fake purchase histories after being allegedly looted from archaeological sites.
Italy said the vase was stolen from a site near Rome.
The museum bought it for 1 (m) million US dollars in 1972 from American art dealer Robert Hecht, who is on trial in Italy on charges of knowingly acquiring allegedly looted ancient artifacts. Hecht denies wrongdoing.
The deal that was eventually sealed with the New York museum in February 2006 envisaged the return of the vase by mid-January 2008.
The museum also agreed to return 20 other antiquities including pieces of Hellenistic silver and Greek earthenware.
Mark Smith, Cultural Affairs Officer for the US Embassy in Rome, said that the agreement between the Met and the Italian Ministry of Culture will set a precedent and "enable American museums and Italian museums to cooperate more and more closely with each other."
The Euphronius Krater - long a highlight of the Met's collection - was last exhibited at the New York museum on Sunday.

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