Ulaanbaatar, March 12, 2024 /MONTSAME/. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the modern museum in Mongolia, a special exhibition "WELCOME HOME" opened at the Natural History Museum of Mongolia on March 9, 2024, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia. 

Minister of Culture of Mongolia Nomin Chinbat made remarks at the Exhibition promoting and displaying a selection of dinosaur fossils repatriated to Mongolia in five separate returns.

The Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition was attended by Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Mongolia John S. Brown, Director of the National Center for Cultural Heritage of Mongolia, officials from the organizations under the Ministry of Culture of Mongolia, G. Enkhbat, Head of Ancient Animals and Plants Collection Department of Institute of Paleontology and Geology of Mongolian Academy of Sciences S. Ulziitseren, Head of Paleozoology Department of  Institute of Paleontology and Geology of Mongolian Academy of Sciences B. Mainbayar, Director of the Museum of Dinosaur Research, Okayama University of Science of Japan Shinobu Ishikagi (Ph.D.), researcher Kentaro Chiba (Ph.D.), and representatives of other partner organizations.

The Exhibition will continue until March 17, 2024.

The Mongolian Government's action program reflects the "Heritage of Mongols Spread Around the World" initiative. The Ministry of Culture of Mongolia is progressively implementing measures to support the initiative, such as researching and repatriating cultural heritage from foreign countries and organizing exhibitions.

Under the cooperation between the Government of Mongolia and the U.S. Government, illegally exported dinosaur fossils from Mongolia to the United States were brought back to Mongolia in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2020 respectively. On February 19, 2024, the Natural History Museum of Mongolia received sixteen dinosaur fossils of six distinct types. These fossils are considered significant Mongolian cultural heritage. The successful repatriation is the result of collaborative efforts undertaken by the relevant authorities of the two countries. The measure holds significance in strengthening relations and collaboration in the cultural sector, primarily aimed at preventing the repeat of illegal excavation and trade of these fossils.