CAIRO - Italy will provide more than 1.3 million euros (1.9 million dollars) to renovate the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the countries' culture ministers announced on Thursday.
Faruk Hosni and Francesco Rutelli signed a draft agreement in the Egyptian capital to overhaul the building, where tens of thousands of archaeological artefacts are stored but only a fraction are put on display.
"The Italian gift represents an important contribution to the cost of this project which requires raising 5.1 million dollars (3.5 million euros)," Hosni said.
"The Italians will refit the museum interior and exterior, after a number of archaeological items have been moved to the Civilisation Museum, due to open in the next two years, and to the Grand Museum currently under construction near the pyramids," he added.
The national Egyptian Civilisation Museum is under construction in southern Cairo and the Grand Museum is expected to be completed in 2011, Hosni said.
Behind the Israeli wall: a Lesson in reality