LIMA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Spain gave back to Peru the first collection of pre-Colombian archeological pieces on Monday.

    During a ceremony at the Peruvian Foreign Ministry, Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos returned the archeological pieces to his Peruvian counterpart Jose Garcia Belaunde.

    Garcia expressed his "deep appreciation" and said that the fight against cultural relics trafficking is a fundamental element of the strategic alliance between both governments.

    Moratinos said the return of the objects was an answer to cooperation between the two nations, and there were other Peruvian archeological objects in Spain that would be returned soon.

    Among the returned pieces were three gold necklaces, masks, nose muffs, earmuffs, and knives of the pre-Incan culture. The objects were seized by former Costa Rican diplomat Leonard Patterson.

    Cecilia Bakula, chief of the National Institute of Culture in Peru, said the returned collection, which was part of a total of 253 pieces in Patterson's possession, would be exhibited next week at the Museum of the Nation.

    The recovered pieces and others had been stored at a warehouse of a moving company in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia region, in Spain since 1997.