Peru and Yale will request the suspension of the ongoing lawsuit following the Tuesday signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two parties over the return of Incan artifacts to Peru, the Peruvian news agency Andina reported Thursday. The parties will request formal termination of the lawsuit once the terms of the agreement are carried out, Andina said.

Peru filed a lawsuit for the relics’ return in December 2008, and the lawsuit is currently pending in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut, awaiting decision on Yale’s motion to dismiss the case. Yale’s lawyers argued in a motion in January 2010 that the lawsuit should be dropped because Peru’s claim to the artifacts had expired under a three year statute of limitations period.

The deadline set in the memorandum of understanding for the return of all artifacts is Dec. 31, 2012, Andina reported. The report added that Yale will be responsible for all expenses related to the artifacts’ return.