Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis publicly expressed his frustration after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak abruptly canceled their scheduled meeting in London. This last-minute decision came amidst a longstanding dispute over the Parthenon Sculptures, a contentious issue between Greece and the United Kingdom.
The heart of the controversy: The Parthenon sculptures
For years, Greece has been vocally demanding the return of the Parthenon Sculptures from the British Museum.The Parthenon temple, constructed in the 5th century BCE as a tribute to Athena, suffered partial destruction in 1687 due to a Venetian attack and subsequently faced looting. Pieces of this ancient structure are now dispersed across various esteemed museums worldwide.These artifacts, were removed from the Parthenon temple by Lord Elgin, a British diplomat in the Ottoman Empire, in the early 19th century. This collection, dating back 2,500 years, has been exhibited at the museum in London since 1817.The Greek government views their return as a matter of cultural and historical significance.In a significant development earlier this year, Greece welcomed back three marble fragments from the Vatican, where they had been preserved for centuries.
Mitsotakis's reaction to the cancellation
"I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place," Mitsotakis stated. He emphasized Greece's firm stance on the issue, expressing disappointment at losing the opportunity to discuss it with Sunak. "Anyone who believes in the rightness and justice of his positions is never afraid of confronting arguments," he added.
British govt's stance
A British government official cited the marble dispute as the reason for the unsuitability of the meeting. Sunak's office, while acknowledging the importance of UK-Greece relations, suggested Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden meet Mitsotakis instead. The British government remains firm in its position against relinquishing ownership of the marbles, citing legal acquisition and a law that prohibits removal from the museum's collection, though not a loan.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sunak conveyed to the media that the UK's stance on the Parthenon Sculptures remains firm and unwavering. The spokesman emphasized that Sunak considers the marbles to be a valuable cultural asset for Britain, having been "safeguarded" by the nation "for generations".
"I think the prime minister's on the record that the Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum were legally acquired under the laws at the time," the spokesperson stated.
"They're legally owned by the trustees of the British Museum. We fully support this position -- indeed the British Museum Act prohibits the removal of objects from the museum's collection.
"We have no plans to change the law," he continued, asserting that "the world comes to the UK regularly to see the marbles".
Labour Party's involvement and meeting with Mitsotakis
Despite the cancellation with Sunak, Mitsotakis's meeting with British opposition leader Keir Starmer proceeded as planned. The Labour Party, leading in opinion polls, indicated openness to a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures, though they declined to comment further.
Ongoing negotiations and comparisons to 'Mona Lisa'
The Greek government has been in talks with British Museum chair George Osborne about a potential loan deal for the sculptures. Mitsotakis, in a BBC interview, lamented the slow progress of these discussions, likening the situation to having the "Mona Lisa" cut in half. He stressed that the issue was not about ownership but "reunification."
(With inputs from agencies)
