France, April 15 -- French lawmakers on Monday passed a bill to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin.

France still has in its possession tens of thousands of artworks and other prized artefacts that it looted from its colonial empire.

The draft legislation to return them was unanimously approved by the lower house National Assembly late on Monday.

The Senate - France's upper house - had unanimously passed the measure in January.

President Emmanuel Macron has made it a political promise to return the cultural items, and has gone further than his predecessors in admitting past French abuses in Africa.

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