Summary of the day
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that the cancellation of a meeting with the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was “unfortunate” but would not hurt long-term relations.
The Greek foreign minister, George Gerapetritis, also underlined the need to move on but insisted that Athens’ demand for the “reunification” of the Parthenon marbles was not only “just” but based on “universal cultural values”.
Sunak ramped up his criticism of Mitsotakis, telling the House of Commons that “it was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues for the future, but rather to grandstand and relitigate issues of the past”.
The Swedish foreign minister, Tobias Billström, told reporters that his Turkish counterpart had told him ratification of the country’s Nato bid was expected within weeks.
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said allies discussed Sweden’s bid in their meeting today and “would like to see ratification finalised as soon as possible”.
Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, leader of the Netherlands’ People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), said today her party would be willing to support a coalition made up of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), New Social Contract (NSC) and Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), adding that the precise form of collaboration could be worked out.
The Finnish president’s offices said the presidents of Finland and Poland did not discuss military cooperation regarding Finland’s border with Russia during a meeting last week.
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Sunak criticises Mitsotakis as row continues
The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has ramped up his criticism of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, telling the House of Commons that he cancelled talks with the Greek leader after he failed to keep to “a commitment” not to raise the longstanding dispute over the Parthenon marbles during his trip to London.
Responding to criticism from Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, during prime minister’s questions, Sunak said:
It was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues for the future, but rather to grandstand and relitigate issues of the past.
Well-placed Greek insiders described the charge “as absurd”, saying not only would Mitsotakis refuse to be gagged on an issue so close to his heart but that Downing Street was aware, days before, of the talks agenda, which included the ctopic alongside Gaza, Ukraine, immigration and the climate emergency.
Greece, as we reported earlier, now says it want to move on. Asked to comment on Sunak’s decision to accelerate the war of words, a senior Greek government official told the Guardian:
In the spirit of the good longstanding relations between the countries, which we intend to preserve, we have nothing more to add on this matter.
Meanwhile, Lina Mendoni, the Greek culture minister, also attempted to put a positive spin on the row, telling reporters it had not only brought Athens’ restitution claim to wider public attention but highlighted the “barbarism” with which the marbles were originally hacked from the Parthenon by Elgin’s team and then treated by the British Museum.
“Greece is continuing to talk with the British Museum ... but the sculptures are the product of theft,” she told SKAI radio.
“They are in the British Museum today as the product of theft. Greece is intensifying its claim, focusing on the barbarism the sculptures suffered not only under Elgin but during their years on display [in London],” she added, referring to an array of incidents that had, she said, left the artworks damaged while under stewardship of the British Museum. Among them was the infamous attempt in the 1930’s to clean the marbles’ patina.
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