Ethiopia's government has said Italy is to return the first piece of a historic obelisk from Rome to its home in Axum by the end of March.
It signals the end of a long deadlock over the return of a monument taken from the northern town of Axum in 1937, during Italy's brief occupation of Ethiopia.
Italy has already broken the 160-tonne pillar in preparation for its transport.
The Ethiopian foreign ministry expect the whole of the 1,700-year-old obelisk to be back by the end of April.
According to news reports, the Italian government has agreed to pay 340m euros to transport the obelisk by cargo plane to Ethiopia and reconstruct it at its original site in Axum.
Now the Ethiopian authorities are thought to be planning a national celebration to mark its return.
Andrew Zilouf
Ethiopia Awaits Return of Axum Obelisk
Ethiopia stands tall ahead of the 'imminent' return of the Axum obelisk from Italy.
