Hong Kong today signed memorandums of understanding with the British Museum and Gallerie degli Uffizi to further strengthen cultural exchanges with the two world-renowned UK and Italy museums.

The MOUs were signed by Director of Leisure & Cultural Services Vincent Liu with Chairman of the British Museum Richard Lambert and Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi Eike Schmidt.

Under the pacts, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will foster co-operation with the British Museum on exhibitions and strengthen bilateral exchanges, while the Gallerie degli Uffizi will offer thematic exhibitions for display at the department’s museums under a five-year plan.

Professional exchange programmes will also be developed to mutually benefit Gallerie degli Uffizi personnel and Hong Kong youth ambassadors.

This marks the first time the Gallerie degli Uffizi, the largest and most visited museum in Italy, has entered into a strategic, long-term partnership with a foreign institution.

It is also the first time the LCSD has signed an MOU with an Italian museum.

The first exhibition from Uffizi is planned for September 2020 to celebrate the Italy-China Year of Culture & Tourism.