Greek PM Urges 'Courage' in Talks with UK over Parthenon Marbles
- On Thursday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged "political will and courage" in a new The Guardian article, calling for permanent reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures in Athens to resolve the dispute with Britain.
- The Parthenon Sculptures were taken to Britain in the early 19th century by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin. While Britain claims they were "legally acquired," Greece disputes the validity of the Ottoman permit.
- Mitsotakis rejects the British Museum's suggested Bayeux Tapestry loan model, arguing the Parthenon Sculptures constitute a unique monument. Athens refuses to accept any agreement requiring Greece to treat its heritage as items it is "borrowing."
- Reports on Wednesday suggested years of negotiations have "collapsed" amid Greek frustration over lack of progress. A British Museum spokesperson countered that its "openness to a deal is unchanged."
- Mitsotakis cited a poll showing 72% of Britons support returning the Sculptures, believing restoration of the monument—tied to democracy's birth—offers a unique model for future cultural friendship between the nations.
72 Articles
72 Articles
Mitsotakis pushes Burnham. But Britain slows down and dialogue with the British Museum appears stalled (ANSA)
A 1963 British law prevents the museum from making restitutions, but for decades Greece has been calling for the return of these archaeological treasures exhibited for two centuries in London.
In a forum published in the "Guardian" on Thursday, 24 September, the Greek Prime Minister, who desperately seeks to recover the marbles exiled for 200 years, says that "pleasing for reunification does not mean emptying the world's museums".
The dispute over these ancient remains, presented in the famous London museum for more than two centuries, poisons relations between the two countries. In a stand at the Guardian, published as the British Museum exhibits the Bayeux Tapestry as part of an unprecedented loan from France, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis rejects the idea that a similar solution can be applied to the 75 metres of friezes of the Parthenon, and pleads for a "r…
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