Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece is no closer to getting back the stolen Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum despite talks that only resulted in offering a loan of the valuable treasures created in Greece.
He said that the negotiations are not close to a “positive outcome,” although he said growing numbers of the British want the museum to send back the marbles ripped off the Parthenon 200 years ago by Scottish diplomat Lord Elgin.
Speaking at a conference, during a panel on cultural heritage, Mitsotakis said the discussions with the British Museum are “a complicated issue. It’s no secret that we’ve had discussions to find an arrangement that would work for both sides. I don’t think we have made as much progress as I would like,” he said.
Mitsotakis: Parthenon Marbles belong to the Acropolis Museum
He added that the British Museum’s planned renovation could “present new opportunities,” and reiterated that the sculptures belong in the Acropolis Museum, but the British Museum isn’t budging.
“This is not a typical restitution argument. This is a reunification argument,” he said, noting that Greece could offer the museum a partnership that includes exhibiting Greek artifacts that have never left the country, but the British want Greece to give up ownership.
British author Victoria Hislop, a co-panelist, said there is “a growing opinion among the British public that the sculptures should come home.”
She added that Egypt’s recent call for the return of the Rosetta Stone increased pressure on the British Museum, and more public pressure could accelerate the marbles’ return.
Related: Renowned Actor Brian Cox: The Parthenon Marbles Should Return to Greece
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