ATHENS/LONDON, Nov 27 (Portal) – Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused his British counterpart Rishi Sunak of canceling a planned meeting in London on Tuesday in a diplomatic row over the status of the Parthenon sculptures.
Greece has repeatedly asked the British Museum for the final return of the 2,500-year-old sculptures removed from the Parthenon temple by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
“I express my anger that the British Prime Minister canceled our planned meeting just hours before its scheduled date,” Mitsotakis said in a statement.
“Greece’s positions on the Parthenon sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart. Anyone who believes in the correctness and justice of their positions is never afraid to engage in arguments,” he said.
The Greek government is negotiating with the chairman of the British Museum, George Osborne, about a possible loan deal for the sculptures, which have caused disputes between the two countries for centuries.
Mitsotakis complained in an interview with the BBC on Sunday that talks about a possible return of the sculptures to Athens were not progressing quickly enough.
He said that the continued presence of the sculptures in the British Museum was tantamount to halving the “Mona Lisa” and that it was not a question of ownership but of “reunification”.
[1/5]A staff member looks at examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes called the Elgin Marbles in the United Kingdom, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. Portal/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire License Rights
A British government official, who did not want to be named, said the dispute over the marbles meant it was not suitable for holding the meeting.
A spokesman for Sunak had previously said there were no plans to return the sculptures.
Asked about Mitsotakis’ statement, Sunak’s office said Britain’s relationship with Greece was “hugely important” and that the two countries needed to work together on global challenges such as tackling illegal migration.
British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden would instead be available to meet with Mitsotakis to discuss these issues, Sunak’s office said.
The British government has always ruled out giving up ownership of the marbles, which make up about half of the 160-meter-long frieze that adorned the Parthenon, saying they were acquired legally.
A law prohibits the British museum from removing objects from the collection except in certain circumstances, but lending them is not prohibited.
A meeting between Mitsotakis and British opposition leader Keir Starmer took place as planned on Monday. The Financial Times reported last week that Starmer would not block a “mutually acceptable” loan deal for the sculptures.
Labor declined to comment.
Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Edited by Angus MacSwan and Stephen Coates
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