The Swiss Federal Council and the Government of the Hellenic Republic (hereinafter ‘the Parties’) in application of the November 14, 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, to which both countries are a party, and in pursuit of relevant applicable provisions at the Parties, in consideration that theft, looting and the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property representing harm to the cultural heritage of mankind, endeavoring to make a contribution to maintain and secure cultural heritage and to prohibit and prevent the illegal transfer of cultural property, in the belief that cooperation between both countries may constitute an important contribution in this regard, endeavoring to ease the repatriation of illicitly imported, exported and having its ownership illegally transferred cultural property and to strengthen contacts between both countries with regard to cultural exchanges, have agreed as follows.