The Elgin Marbles, a collection of ancient Greek sculptures, were removed from the Parthenon in Athens by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, and their presence in the British Museum has been the subject of ongoing controversy and a long-standing dispute between Greece and the UK, with Greece seeking their return.

Greece has been seeking the return of the Parthenon Marbles since gaining independence, with repeated requests made to the UK.

The British Museum's law currently bars the return of the Elgin Marbles, and the UK Prime Minister has ruled out changing the law to allow their return.

A possible loan deal is being discussed between the British Museum and Greece, which could allow the Elgin Marbles to return to Greece temporarily.

The loan agreement could be part of a long-term cultural partnership between the UK and Greece, facilitating the return of the marbles.

Greece views the return of the Elgin Marbles as a symbol of national strength and a crucial part of their cultural heritage.

The dispute over the Elgin Marbles has caused a diplomatic storm between the UK and Greece, with the cancellation of talks between the two countries.

The return of the Elgin Marbles could have significant implications for the cultural and diplomatic relations between the UK and Greece, potentially affecting future collaborations and negotiations.

A survey found that 54% of people think the sculptures should be returned to Greece, indicating a level of public support for the return of the Elgin Marbles.

The Greek government has accused the Earl of Elgin of "blatant continuous theft" and has demanded the permanent return of the Parthenon marbles.

The UK government has no plans to change the law protecting the British Museum's collection, which includes the Elgin Marbles.

The British Museum's chair, George Osborne, has had secret talks with the Greek premier to discuss a potential loan deal for the Elgin Marbles.

The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is open to a potential loan deal, while the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is skeptical.

A long-term cultural partnership between the UK and Greece could facilitate the return of the Elgin Marbles and improve diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The return of the Elgin Marbles could create a "slippery slope" for other artifact returns, which is a concern for the UK.

The dispute over the Elgin Marbles may impact the UK's reputation in Europe and upcoming elections.

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has discussed the return of the Parthenon Marbles with UK leaders, but talks are not progressing well.

Greece has waited over 200 years for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, which were taken by the Earl of Elgin in the 19th century.

The British Museum acquired the Parthenon Marbles in 1816, and they are currently displayed in the museum.

Greece claims that the Parthenon Marbles are stolen, not legally acquired, and the British Museum rejects their return, citing legal acquisition.

The return of the Parthenon Marbles could impact UK-Greece cultural and diplomatic relations, and the Greek Prime Minister remains patient, seeking a resolution.

The British Museum and the Greek government are discussing a loan agreement for the Elgin Marbles, with talks at an advanced stage.

The discussions between the British Museum and the Greek government have been ongoing for several months, with the subject of the loan being the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Statues.

The loan duration is not specified in the agreement, with a suggested duration of 100 years mentioned but not agreed upon.

Greece has offered to loan treasures to the British Museum as part of the agreement.

The Greek government is seeking the return of 17 sculptures, which are 2,500 years old, as part of the loan agreement.

The UK government has stated that it will not return the Parthenon Marbles permanently, with the British Museum Act 1963 prohibiting the museum from disposing of its collections.

The British Museum has expressed a commitment to sharing the ancient Greek legacy, but its trustees believe that UNESCO involvement is not the best way forward.

UNESCO has urged the UK to revisit its stance on the Parthenon Marbles, and has criticized the conditions of the sculptures at the British Museum.

However, the role of UNESCO in the current loan agreement discussions is not mentioned.

The display and conservation requirements for the loan agreement are not specified, with no discussion on the conservation requirements mentioned in the documents.

The Greek prime minister has demanded the return of the Parthenon Marbles to the Acropolis, with Greece having requested their return for over 200 years.

A long-term cultural partnership between the British Museum and the Greek government may facilitate the return of the Parthenon collection, with the British Museum seeking a "cultural exchange" with Greece.

The UK government has proposed a temporary loan of the sculptures to Greece, with the British Museum chair backing a loan deal with Greece.

A proposed deal includes exchanging sculptures for Greek treasures, but the UK government is skeptical of the loan deal.

The return of the Elgin Marbles is a highly sensitive topic, with the UK being wary of setting a precedent for returning artifacts.

The British Museum's collection includes items considered looted, and the return of the Elgin Marbles could have significant consequences for the museum's relationships with other institutions and countries.

The British Museum and the Greek government are engaged in ongoing negotiations regarding the return of the Elgin Marbles, with Greece demanding their permanent return.

The British Museum has proposed a loan agreement for the sculptures, but Greece has rejected this proposal due to an ownership dispute.

The Greek government has been trying to retrieve the Parthenon statues since 1983, and UNESCO intervened in 2022 to facilitate talks.

The British Museum Act 1963 prohibits the removal of collections, and the UK has no plans to amend this law, making it difficult to return the Elgin Marbles permanently.

A potential resolution being discussed is a long-term cultural partnership agreement between the British Museum and Greece, which could facilitate the return of the sculptures to Greece.

The British Museum has suggested sharing the sculptures between London and Athens, but Greece is insisting on the permanent return of all the Parthenon stone carvings.

Secret talks have been held between the British Museum director and the Greek prime minister, and a deal to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece is reportedly at an advanced stage.

The UK government is concerned that returning the Elgin Marbles could trigger a wave of disputed artifact returns, and has ruled out changing the relevant regulations.

Greece views the Elgin Marbles as "cutting the Mona Lisa in half" and wants the title to the marbles, but the UK considers them "lent".

The British Museum is protected by law, and there are no plans to change this, making it difficult to reach an agreement on the return of the Elgin Marbles.

The Greek prime minister has called for the reunification of the Parthenon marbles, and has offered to loan treasures to the British Museum in exchange for the return of the sculptures.

A survey has found that over half of the British people support the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles, and the Acropolis Museum in Athens is considered a suitable location for displaying the sculptures.

The British Museum has no plans to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece permanently, but may arrange for the sculptures to be loaned to Greece as part of a cultural exchange.

The safe return and preservation of the Elgin Marbles would require careful planning and cooperation between the British Museum and the Greek government, including ensuring the sculptures are properly conserved and displayed.

The negotiations between the British Museum and the Greek government are ongoing, and a resolution to the dispute is still being sought.

The return of the Elgin Marbles could have significant implications for UK-Greece relations, with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis suggesting that it could shape the future of the relationship between the two countries.

Overall, while there are still significant challenges to be overcome, there is hope that a loan deal or long-term partnership between the British Museum and Greece could provide a resolution to the long-standing dispute over the Elgin Marbles.

The Elgin Marbles, a collection of ancient Greek sculptures, were removed from the Parthenon in Athens by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, and their presence in the British Museum has been the subject of ongoing controversy and a long-standing dispute between Greece and the UK, with Greece seeking their return.

Title:

Content: LONDON (Reuters) - The historic Greek treasure of Elgin Marbles is nearing its return to its country of origin, 200 years after it was moved and ended up in the British Museum.
The Parthenon marble, seen as a symbol of freedom in Greece, was controversially moved out of the country by a British diplomat in a move that ignited a debate that lasted more than two centuries.
Greece has made repeated requests for the sculptures to be returned after they were controversially removed from one of the world ’ s most historic landmarks.
Prime Minister Rishi Sonak had been scheduled to meet his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday, but Downing Street canceled the arrangement and sent Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Duden instead.
The head of the British Museum, former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne, is pushing for a temporary loan to be returned to Greece, and is believed to have drawn up a deal.
But both Sonak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer say they will not support a change to the British Museum law that currently bars their return.
The museum said it was continuing "constructive discussions" about their possible return.
Gin Marble
The Algin marble is 17 sculptures that are 2,500 years old.
His pieces were part of a frieze that adorned the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
The marbles make up about half of the 160-meter-long frieze of the Parthenon Temple, which is considered one of the greatest cultural monuments in the world.
These sculptures are seen as symbols of freedom in Greece, where they are known as Parthenon marble.
British diplomat Lord Elgin removed the sculptures from the majestic Parthenon temple in the early 19th century.
At that time, he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Greece.
Beginning in 1801, Lord Elgin is said to have supervised the removal of the marble and shipped it to the UK in 170 boxes.
He is said to have claimed to have obtained permission from the Ottoman Empire to move the marble, but despite massive documentation from that period, nothing was found to support his actions.
In the United Kingdom, Lord Elgin received support and criticism, and sold it to the United Kingdom government in 1816 before the marble was transferred to the custody of the British Museum.
The beginning and evolution of the dispute
The controversy between Greece and Britain can be traced back to when the marble first arrived in Britain due to criticism of its removal.
In 1832, Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire before it began trying to recover sculptures and other works of art taken from the country.
In the early 1980s, the actress and then Greek Minister of Culture, Melina Mercury, reignited the campaign when she made it her mission to secure the return of marble sculptures.
In 1983, she met with the director of the British Museum, Dr. David Wilson, in London to demand the return of the sculptures.
She continued to press the museum and the British government until her death in 1994.
Despite other requests and high-level media coverage, no agreement was reached in the years that followed.
A new campaign
In 2009, Greece stepped up its marble recovery campaign after opening a new museum at the foot of the Acropolis Hill, hoping one day to house it.
In 2014, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney called on Britain to start talks with Greece over the return of the Elgin marble.
The lawyer, who is the wife of Hollywood star George Clooney, said: "This is an injustice that has been going on for a long time, in a world full of intractable conflicts."
In 2015, Greece ruled out any legal action against the UK over Elgin Marbles.
In May 2022, the so-called Fagan fragment — a piece showing the foot of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis seated — was permanently returned to Athens from a museum in Italy.
It was originally part of the eastern frieze of the temple dating back to the 5th century BC.
The British reaction
In 2022, there were calls to make it easier for UK museums to consider returning cultural objects, but the government rejected them.
Former Conservative culture minister Lord Vaizi also headed a new body aimed at returning Elgin marble to Greece.
The refusal came after then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Greek prime minister during talks at Downing Street in 2021 that the sculpture issue was "a matter for the curators of the British Museum".
Then, at the beginning of December, George Osborne, the head of the British Museum, reportedly held secret talks with the Greek prime minister about the possibility of returning the marble sculptures.
Negotiations between former Treasury Secretary Osborne and Kiriakos Mitsotakis have been taking place in London since November 2021, according to the Greek daily Ta Nea.
The Greek prime minister has on numerous occasions called for the relocation of the sculptures, and even offered to lend other treasures to the British Museum in return.
A spokesman for Project Parthenon, a campaign advocating the return of marble sculptures, hailed the talks as a “positive sign ” that a“ win-win solution ” to the centuries-old debate could be reached.
Possible deal?
In December last year, Downing Street said there were no plans to change the law that prohibits the museum from disposing of objects in its collection except in very limited circumstances.
A spokesman for the prime minister said: “The Parthenon sculptures are legally owned by trustees and are practically independent of the government. ”
Last month, the British Museum issued a statement saying it would not dismantle its collection “because it tells a unique story of our common humanity, ” but added that it wanted to forge a new“ Parthenon partnership ” with Greece.
The talks in Westminster were used by former culture minister Lord Vaizi to press again for the return of the sculptures.
He said that the frieze in Athens "resembles a film that was cut in half and half of it was moved against the will of its owners to another country."
After cancelling the bilateral meeting between Sonak and Mitsotakis on Tuesday, the Greek leader said he was "disappointed".
Mr Sonak said the UK “has no plans to change our approach ” but“ did not ask him [Mr Mitsotakis] what short-term or new ideas have been put forward ”.
Starmer and Mitsotakis Meet
Opposition Labour leader Sir Kiir Starmer met Mitsotakis on Monday.
A source close to Labour leader Sir Kiir Starmer told the Financial Times he was unlikely to change the law if he won the next election.
"We are committed to the current law, but if a mutually acceptable loan deal can be agreed between the British Museum and the Greek government, we will not stand in the way."
Is the agreement possible?
The head of the National Museum, George Osborne, is understood to have drawn up a deal with Athens, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Current legislation bars the museum from legally granting treasures, but Osborne is said to be seeking to repatriate the antiquities as part of a long-term "cultural exchange."
But this loan deal is not expected to permanently end the long-running dispute.
The article was prepared from the site of (Sky News) British channel:
https: / / news.sky.com / story / elgin-marbles-what-are-they-and-how-did-they-end-up-in-the-british-museum-12779617

Greece has been seeking the return of the Parthenon Marbles since gaining independence, with repeated requests made to the UK.

The British Museum's law currently bars the return of the Elgin Marbles, and the UK Prime Minister has ruled out changing the law to allow their return.

A possible loan deal is being discussed between the British Museum and Greece, which could allow the Elgin Marbles to return to Greece temporarily.

Title:

Content: UK refuses to return Parthenon marble to Greece
Daily Morning and Agencies
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 16.01.2023 11: 13
Last update at 16.01.2023 11: 14
Elgin marble sculpture at the British Museum in London (French)
Britain ’ s culture minister has ruled out a permanent return of Parthenon marble to Greece amid reports that a “cultural exchange ” has almost been agreed with Athens.
Minister Michelle Donilan told BBC Radio that the deal, reportedly negotiated by British Museum chief George Osborne, was not about the permanent return of ancient sculptures to Greece.
Donilan said this was "not final or permanent", referring to the deal by Osborne, former finance minister under former prime minister David Cameron.
Such a move would “open the door to the question of the full contents of our museums. ”
The sculpture, also known as Elgin marble, was taken from the Parthenon Temple in the Acropolis of Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, nicknamed the 8th Earl of Elgin.
Secret talks between Osborne and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were reportedly held for a year.
The Daily Telegraph earlier this month, citing media sources, said the reported deal, effectively a loan agreement for the sculpture, could result in the 2,500-year-old relics returning “sooner rather than later. ”
Such an arrangement could circumvent the legal ban on the museum dismantling its huge collection.
Donilan said separately: “Museums are not able to return artifacts legally permanently, which I fully agree with. ”
“A lot of people talked about lending the sculpture for 100 years, which I don ’ t think is in line with the spirit of legislation at all, ” she said, adding that this was not what Osborne was planning to do.
She added that the UK does not want to give up things that have become "national property...
It was seen by people from all over the world, "which the state took great care to preserve.
Elgin VIII took the sculpture when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and Greece today insists that the marble artifact was stolen, so Athens has waged a long campaign for its return while the UK asserts it was legally obtained.
The return of the marble sculpture remains a highly sensitive topic as the British Museum ’ s huge collection includes many items that other countries now consider looted after being taken over by the builders of the British Empire while the government is wary of setting such a precedent.

The loan agreement could be part of a long-term cultural partnership between the UK and Greece, facilitating the return of the marbles.

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Home > News > Parthenon marbles are to remain in the British Museum

Parthenon marbles are to remain in the British Museum

The museum might yet arrange for the sculptures to be loaned. But Sunak stated that there are no plans to change the statute, which specifies that the museum can only dispose of pieces in its collection under certain circumstances.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has ruled out amending a regulation that prevents the British Museum from permanently returning the Parthenon marbles to Greece.

Sunak confirmed that they have no intention of altering the existing regulations, which limit the museum’s ability to sell or dispose of pieces in its collection except under specific circumstances.

Sunak is unlikely to break with the stances of his two predecessors, who were both against any kind of loan of the marbles to Greece.

“The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations. Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country,” Sunak told reporters on his plane as he flew to the United States on monday

“We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.”

Since its independence in 1832, Greece has repeatedly demanded the return of the statues known as the Elgin Marbles, which were stolen from the Parthenon temple in Athens by British ambassador Lord Elgin in the early nineteenth century, while Greece was under Ottoman domination.

George Osborne, a former finance minister and the chair of the British Museum, has been collaborating with Greece to develop a new agreement that would enable the Parthenon sculptures to be displayed in both Athens and London. The Parthenon Project, which has received support from politicians across various parties in the UK, announced on Sunday that a long-term cultural partnership agreement could potentially facilitate the return of the British Museum’s Parthenon collection to Greece.

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Greece views the return of the Elgin Marbles as a symbol of national strength and a crucial part of their cultural heritage.

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Greek PM reiterates demand for British Museum to return Parthenon statue, British PM cancels meeting, sparking diplomatic row
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in an interview with the BBC on Sunday, reiterated that the authorities want the British Museum to return some of the statues that were “stolen ” from the Parthenon Temple.
What we want you to know is
Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, in an interview with the BBC on Sunday (26), described the Parthenon shrine as part of the statue group in Greece, part in the United Kingdom, like the "Mona Lisa smile" torn in half and asked Britain to return it.
British Prime Minister David Sunak then called the meeting a "temporary cancellation" hours before the meeting, prompting discontent from Mitsotakis, Greek officials and the public, calling it a "diplomatic crisis."
In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated that the British Museum wants to return some of the “stolen ” statues from the Parthenon Temple. Subsequently, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, hours before the meeting with Mitsotakis, a temporary resolution to cancel, sparking a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
BBC, British authorities claim that Sunak cancelled the meeting because Mitsotakis broke his promise to "not talk about the statue".
Mitsotakis, however, said it was Greece ’ s consistent and public stance to demand the British Museum return of the statue, saying in a statement: “I would like to express my dissatisfaction with the temporary cancellation by the United Kingdom just hours before the meeting. ”
The Greeks worked for hundreds of years to return the statue of the Parthenon.
The controversial statue is one of a group of marble statues used to decorate the Parthenon Temple in the ancient Greek city of Athens, also known as the Elgin Marbles.
In the 19th century, the British diplomat to the Ottoman Empire, the 7th Earl of Elgin, secretly removed the stone carvings and brought them back to Britain for collection in the British Museum.
At that time, Elgin claimed that he had taken the stone carvings with the permission of the Ottoman Empire and therefore had legitimacy.
However, the Greek authorities do not think so.
Since 1983, the Greek government has been trying to coordinate with the UK to ask them to return the stone carvings. In 2022, UNESCO also intervened to facilitate talks, but to no avail.
Therefore, the issue of the return of the stone carvings has become the core issue and exchange condition of many negotiations between Greece and Britain, including of course the meeting originally planned by Sunak and Mitsotakis.
Statues of the Parthenon Temple are mainly located in Athens and the British Museum.
In an interview with the BBC on the 26th, Mitsotakis described: "The scattered statue is like tearing the famous painting" Mona Lisa's Smile "in two parts and giving it to two museums." He called on the British authorities and the British Museum to return the "stolen" stone carvings and work together so that people can enjoy the statue "in its place".
Because of these remarks, Sunak temporarily announced on Monday night that he would cancel his meeting with Mitsotakis on Tuesday.
According to the Guardian, the British government said that the content of Mitsotakis ’ interview with the BBC violates the commitment of the two countries to “not talk about the return of stone carvings ” agreed in 2021.
The Greek authorities immediately denied the claim, and Mitsotakiston said that Greece ’ s position on asking Britain to return the statue was well known and reiterated during his tenure as prime minister.
The conversation should have been about the climate crisis, the Israeli-Kazakh conflict, the Russian-Ukrainian war, the British and Greek immigration plans, and the Parthenon statue.
After Sunak cancelled the talks, the British offered to have Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden attend, but Mitsotakis refused, and the two sides did not meet.
UK has no plans to amend the British Museum Act
The New York Times reported that in the past two years, the Greek government and the British Museum have repeatedly held "delicate negotiations" over the return of the statue, but the two sides have yet to reach a consensus.
According to the report, the Greek authorities want the British Museum to return all the Parthenon stone carvings, in exchange for which the Greek Museum will regularly select artefacts for display in the British Museum.
For its part, the British Museum agreed to "borrow" some of the Parthenon stone carvings and other exhibits from the Greek government for a short period of time. If Greece "returns" on schedule, the British Museum will "lend" more stone carvings.
Mitsotakis also mentioned in an interview with the BBC that the outcome of the negotiations at this stage is not as good as he expected, but he considers himself a man of perseverance and said: "Greece has waited for hundreds of years, we can wait more."
“I ’ m going to stand firm and be willing to continue negotiations.
A British government spokesman told The Guardian they were concerned that the return of stone carvings to Greece could create a “slippery slope ” that could trigger a wave of returns of disputed artifacts from other collections.
In addition, the British Museum Act 1963 states that the British Museum may not return its collections to its homeland.
According to the BBC, the British government has no plans to amend the decree, which means that the British authorities are unwilling to violate the decree and return the stone carvings to Greece.
The return of the stone sculpture is a matter of British election and diplomatic relations.
Evangelos Kyriakidis, head of the Greek Agency for Monuments and Estates, told Euronews that the Greek government attaches importance to the statues of the Parthenon temple because they are not only important monuments, but also a symbol of Greek national strength.
Kiriadis uses the metaphor of "the jewel of the crown of the king of England in Greece" to argue that the issue of the statue group is a matter of sovereignty.
The New York Times pointed out that the news of the cancellation of the meeting in Sunak immediately triggered the dissatisfaction of politicians of the Greek political party and caused a wave of criticism on social media, with many accounts condemning it as a diplomatic incident and a mini-diplomatic crisis between Greece and the United Kingdom.
The Guardian also quoted a Greek government spokesman, accusing Sunak of using the issue of the return of stone carvings with Greece to divert attention from Britain's internal affairs.
The spokesman said more bluntly that Sunak ’ s decision has the potential to damage Britain ’ s reputation in Europe, which is divided after Brexit.
A senior EU official also told The Guardian that cancelling the prime minister ’ s meeting and then sending the deputy prime minister to meet with the Greek prime minister would violate normal diplomatic procedures and damage Britain ’ s credibility.
He also said: "The United Kingdom, which wants to go global, cannot stop talking to friends about a problem that has existed for 200 years."
Another observer also pointed out that the British government is ahead of the serious refugee problem, and Greece is a member of the European Union that links Europe and the Mediterranean, which has important geopolitical significance.
Not only is there a diplomatic crisis, but the return of the stone carvings to the dispute may also bring about a domestic crisis for Sunak and the ruling party.
The New York Times reported that Britain will hold elections next year, and the ruling party is currently facing a long period of economic stagnation in the United Kingdom and divergent views on immigration policy. At this time, it has a conflict with Greece, which may make the question of the ownership of the statue an election point between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.
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The dispute over the Elgin Marbles has caused a diplomatic storm between the UK and Greece, with the cancellation of talks between the two countries.

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Content: International
2023-11-28 16: 25: 00
Greece asks British Museum to return temple sculpture, cancels meeting with Greek prime minister
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Visiting Greek Prime Minister Alexis Mitsotakis said on Sunday (26) that the British Museum should return an ancient sculpture of the Acropolis to Greece, triggering a diplomatic storm between the two countries, British Prime Minister John Sim announced the cancellation of the meeting with Mitsotakis.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, Mitsotakis said that the Parthenon marble sculpture originally belonged to Greece, but was stolen, and described the cultural relics stored in London and Athens respectively as like cutting the Mona Lisa in half, arguing that the British Museum should return the sculpture to Greece.
He is not satisfied that negotiations for the return of artifacts have been too slow, and Greece has waited more than 200 years.
The report said that these remarks caused Xin Weixin to be dissatisfied, so he cancelled the meeting scheduled for noon on Tuesday (28).
Greek Prime Minister Refuses to Meet British Deputy Prime Minister
Mitsotakis said in a statement that he was dissatisfied with Mr. Sim ’ s cancellation hours before the scheduled meeting.
The report said that it is believed to be related to a diplomatic dispute between the two sides over the issue of the sculpture of the Parthenon Temple.
His spokesman said that Greece and the United Kingdom, which have a very deep history of friendship and cooperation, were expected to discuss common challenges such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the situation in Ukraine, climate change and migration, as well as the Acropolis temple sculpture, and were extremely surprised by the cancellation of the meeting.
Mitsotakis also refused to meet with the British Deputy Prime Minister instead.
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The return of the Elgin Marbles could have significant implications for the cultural and diplomatic relations between the UK and Greece, potentially affecting future collaborations and negotiations.

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Greek prime minister tries to broker deal for return of Parthenon marbles

Kyriakos Mitsotakis offers to loan Greek treasures to British Museum if ‘stolen’ sculptures are returned to Acropolis

The Greek prime minister has demanded that the 2,500-year-old Parthenon marbles, which he accuses Britain of stealing, be returned to Greece, and even offered to loan some of his country’s treasures to the British Museum in an attempt to broker a deal.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the Daily Telegraph that the sculptures, also known as the Elgin marbles, belong in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

However, Boris Johnson has previously ruled out returning them on the grounds that they were acquired legally.

Mitsotakis said: “Our position is very clear. The marbles were stolen in the 19th century; they belong in the Acropolis Museum and we need to discuss this issue in earnest.

“I am sure that if there was a willingness on the part of the government to move we could find an arrangement with the British Museum in terms of us sending abroad cultural treasures on loan, which have never left the country.”

The marbles were removed from the Acropolis more than 200 years ago by Lord Elgin in circumstances that have spurred one of the world’s most famous cultural rows and have long been the subject of dispute.

Mitsotakis said he would raise the issue with Johnson when the two meet next week for talks that could shape future relations between the two countries.

“Refusing to discuss the topic seems to me, given the context of everything that has been happening in terms of the return of cultural treasures, to be rather an anachronistic approach,” he added.

“It would be a fantastic statement by what Boris calls Global Britain if they were to move on this and look at it through a completely different lens.”

But Johnson dismissed the appeal for their return to Greece earlier this year, telling the Greek newspaper Ta Nea: “I understand the strong feelings of the Greek people – and indeed prime minister Mitsotakis – on the issue.

“But the UK government has a firm, longstanding position on the sculptures, which is that they were legally acquired by Lord Elgin under the appropriate laws of the time and have been legally owned by the British Museum’s trustees since their acquisition.”

Greece has long called for the reunification of the sculptures, displayed in museums across Europe but mostly in London, and says it is integral to understanding the artworks in the context of the Acropolis.

A survey found that 54% of people think the sculptures should be returned to Greece, indicating a level of public support for the return of the Elgin Marbles.

Title:

Content: Parthenon Sculptures: Agreement to Return Parthenon Marbles to Greece Arrives at Advanced Stage - Reports
• Kitty Razel
• Cultural Affairs Editor
Greece and Britain are close to reaching an agreement to return Parthenon sculptures (also known in Britain as the Elgin Marbles) to Greece, according to a Greek newspaper.
The Nea newspaper reported that the director of the British Museum, George Osborne, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, held secret talks with the Greek prime minister.
Greece has been demanding the return of the statues for decades.
The British Museum said it was "ready to talk to anyone, including the Greek government" in order to reach a partnership on the subject.
The Parthenon sculptures are considered by many to be among the most important works of art that are being debated for return to their countries of origin.
Carved from the Parthenon Temple in Athens in the 19th century by British diplomat and military officer Lord Elgin, the sculptures were brought to Britain by the British government and placed in the British Museum in 1816.
The marble statues were among those decorated in the 2,500-year-old temple, which was carved by the sculptor Phidias.
The exhibition of the Parthenon Gallery at the Acropolis Museum in Greece was built more than a decade ago to display sculptures there.
In addition to the original marble sculptures that remain in Greece, the exhibition includes plaster copies of those other original marble sculptures that are currently housed in the British Museum and other foreign museums.
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Ta Nea reported that meetings were held with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the first time in London in 2021.
Osborne held preliminary talks with Mitsotakis about the fate of the Greek sculptures at the Greek ambassador's home in Mayfair, and also met with the Greek foreign minister.
He later met with the Greek foreign minister and the Greek minister of state, the paper said.
Mitsotakis met Osborne again this week at the Berkeley Hotel in London.
A Greek source familiar with the matter told the paper that an agreement was almost complete, but important details were still under discussion, that agreement on it was difficult but not impossible, and that tangible progress had been made.
Osborne told LBC that an agreement on Parthenon sculptures was under consideration and could be accomplished if neither party had preconditions or red lines.
A spokesman for the British Museum said the museum had previously called for a partnership on Parthenon sculptures with Greece, adding: “We are seeking a long-term and positive partnership with countries and communities around the world, and that includes Greece of course. ”
"We are acting legally and we will not dismantle our great collection of sculptures, they tell a unique story of human history," the museum said, which may be the most important obstacle to reaching an agreement with Greece.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in London has signed a partnership agreement on 72 of its holdings, the Bronzes of Benin, with Nigeria over ownership of the artefacts.
The pieces were looted by British troops from the city of Benin, in what is now Nigeria, in 1897.
The museum ’ s director, Nick Merriman, said: “We are in the final stages of getting museums to recognize the era of colonial history. ”
Horniman has been able to act as a charity, and is governed by laws different from those governing national institutions.
British law prohibits the British Museum from relinquishing parts of its holdings, including 900 Benin bronzes, as well as Parthenon sculptures.
I had prepared a report in October on the efforts of the then Minister of Culture, Lord Vizin, to explore the possibility of changing the law.
The Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport said: “The British Museum is prohibited by law from transporting items except in a few exceptional circumstances, and the government is not considering changing this law. ”
Lord Vizi is currently the director of the Parthenon Project, an organization founded by Greek businessman John Levas.
Last summer, the association conducted a survey of 2,000 people about the return of the sculptures to Greece, which found that 54 percent of those surveyed said the sculptures should be returned, while 16 percent disagreed.
The claimants' view was that it originally belonged to Greece.
The Parthenon project is campaigning for a mutually satisfactory solution, and news from the talks suggests that a solution is close.
The project aims to reach an agreement in the interest of both parties, centered on a cultural partnership between the two countries.
According to the Te Nea report, the partnership is at the center of talks between the two sides, and the talk is about the return of the sculptures to Greece while the British Museum hosts archaeological treasures from Greece that have not been exhibited abroad before.
British officials have proposed that London and Athens share the sculptures and have explored the possibility of returning part of them to Greece.
The Greek government is not expected to settle for any solution that does not include the permanent return of the sculptures to Greece.

The Greek government has accused the Earl of Elgin of "blatant continuous theft" and has demanded the permanent return of the Parthenon marbles.

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Press Eye / Refusal of the Parthenon Stone Sculpture
“Greek artefacts taken by the British 200 years ago set off a diplomatic storm, ” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was scheduled to meet Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on November 29, but was temporarily canceled on the evening of the 28th.
In view of the long-standing dispute between the two sides over the ownership of the Parthenon marble statue in the British Museum, Greece originally promised not to use the meeting to openly discuss the issue of the ownership of the marble statue, but Mitsotakis described Parthenon as "like cutting the Mona Lisa in half" during his visit to the United Kingdom. Some of the marble statues of the temple are still in London, which displeased Sunak and angered Greece at the cancellation of the meeting.
This diplomatic storm caused the differences between Britain and Greece on the ownership of the marble statue to float on the table again.
The marble statue of the Parthenon temple at the heart of the English dispute, also known in England as "The Elgin Marbles" (The Elgin Marbles), mainly from the Parthenon temple in the Acropolis of Athens, built in the 5th century BC, has a history of more than 2500 years, including some from the Treasury of atreus on Mount Mycenae. More than 3,000 years.
This collection of more than 30 marble statues depicts scenes of Greek history and mythology, originally decorated in temples, including a 75 meter long relief showing the goddess Athena's birthday parade.
In 1801, the statue was shipped to England.
The marble was shipped to England in 1801 by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin of Scotland, from the Acropolis of Athens; regarding the ownership of the stone, the Earl of Elgin insisted that he obtained permission from the Ottoman Turkish Empire, which ruled Greece at the time, to bring the stone to England, but the original of the permission letter he said had been lost, and the British Parliament at that time also gave him permission. The British poet Lord Byron accused the Earl of Elgin of robbery, but the council decided not to prosecute the Earl, and in 1816 the British government bought the statues from the Earl of Elgin and put them on display in the British Museum.
Today, the stone has been one of the most famous exhibits of the British Museum, Greece has been asking the United Kingdom to return the Parthenon marble statue since 1983, and UNESCO has also been involved in coordination with the British and Greek sides on the return of the stone statue at the request of Greece, but to no avail; in 2022, the Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni publicly accused the Earl of Elgin in The removal of the statue of Parthenon by illegal means without "real legal permission" was "a blatant continuous theft".
During Mitsotakis ’ visit to Britain, the two sides are scheduled to discuss diplomatic aspects, including the situation in Gaza, the Russian-Ukrainian war, illegal immigration, and so on; former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who left in mid-November, said during a visit to the Greek island of Samos that Britain has “a lot to learn from Greece ” in dealing with immigration.
The summit has been cancelled due to return issues.
However, the lunch meeting, scheduled for 29 November, was abruptly canceled on the evening of 28 November, and Mitsotakis said that he had hoped to discuss the issue of the Parthenon marble statues in the talks, and that the Greek view of the statues was well known; he also reminded that Greece and Britain had a traditional friendship, which he had hoped to take advantage of. "People who believe they are right and righteous will never be afraid of dissent," he said in a statement.
After the British government confirmed the cancellation of the talks, Mitsotakis proposed to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, but this was rejected.
The office at 10 Downing Street said that Greece had originally promised not to use the meeting as a platform to openly discuss the return of the Parthenon marble statue, but the Greek side broke its promise and therefore believed that the two sides would not have much benefit.
The so-called "breach of promise" refers to Mitsotakis in an interview with the BBC about the Parthenon marble statue, because some of the statues are currently in the Parthenon Temple, and the other part is in the British Museum, Mitsotakis said that the United Kingdom should return the stone statue, and use "like the Mona Lisa cut in half" to describe the situation.
However, the Greek government has denied making such a promise.
The British Labour Party and the Government are in opposition.
The cancellation of the meeting caused concern in the British political and media, the Labour Party said that the decision to cancel the meeting was "deplorable", indicating that the Sunak government was "narrow minded"; the position of the Labour Party on the attribution of the Parthenon marble statue is far from being as strong as the Conservative Party, and the position of Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is that the position of the British Museum and Athens agreed that the statue could be temporarily loaned to Greece, but the Conservatives objected, fearing that if the statue was lent to Greece, it would never be returned to the United Kingdom — the British Museum was banned from disposing of its collections in 1963, so the ownership of the statue was no longer a matter for the British Museum alone, and Sunak had previously made clear that he would never support amending the law.
It is worth noting that Mitsotakis has already met with Scheer, and the Guardian quoted Greek sources as saying that Athens' assessment of the matter may also be one of the reasons why 10 Downing Street is dissatisfied with Mitsotakis, and because the Labour Party is far ahead of the Conservative Party in the polls, there is a great chance of winning the 2024 election again. It will become more and more frequent.
Prior to his meeting with Mitsotakis, Scheer expressed his support for a loan agreement to exchange the Parthenon marble statue with Athens for other ancient Greek artifacts that had not been to Britain for display at the British Museum.
However, Scheer did not intend to discuss the matter publicly, fearing that it would cause voters to resent the Labour Party, and stressed that he was opposed to amending the 1963 law that prevented the British Museum from returning the statue.
In fact, the agreement did not solve the biggest dispute between Greece and Britain over the return of the statue, which is "who exactly belongs to the marble statue of the Parthenon"; Greece naturally wanted to return the title to itself, but even if the agreement could be reached, Britain still considered the statue to be "lent" and the title to the British Museum.
Mitsotakis ’ s trip to Britain ended in haste, returning to Greece early, and both countries are still waiting to see how the dispute should end, but for the British government, which wants to establish stable relations with its European allies after Brexit, the result is clearly contrary to the goal, and in Britain, it is more about the policy differences between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.
A Labour spokesman said: “If the Prime Minister is unable to meet with European allies who have vital economic links with the UK, it is further evidence that he cannot provide the economic leadership our country needs. ”
And the Labour Party, led by Schkeel, is ready. "
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The UK government has no plans to change the law protecting the British Museum's collection, which includes the Elgin Marbles.

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Content: Greek premier to meet Starmer and Sunak in renewed push to return Elgin marbles

Kyriakos Mitsotakis due to meet Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in London next week

Matt Mathers
Saturday 25 November 2023 23:43
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Elgin Marbles: British Museum lends statue

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to raise the issue of the Parthenon sculptures with the UK next week.

He is reportedly due to hold talks with Labour leader Keir Starmer on Monday and prime minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday and will raise the subject with both.

The Financial Times reported that Mr Starmer was open to a potential loan deal that would see parts of the ancient sculptures returned. Labour declined to comment.

The 2,500-year-old sculptures, also known as the Eglin Marbles, were taken from Athens to Britain by agents of Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Eglin, in the early 19th century and never returned. Greece says they were stolen, sparking a bitter and long-running dispute with the UK.

Housed in their own dedicated room, the sculptures of Olympian gods and goddesses, centaurs and warriors are among the greatest at the British Museum.

A 1963 Act of Parliament stops the British Museum from permanently handing them back.

George Osborne, the museum’s chair and the former Conservative Party MP and chancellor, has backed a loan deal.

“I hope we’ll find a way to partner with Greece so that a portion of the Marbles spend part of their time in Athens . . . and we see more of their treasures in return,” he wrote in The Spectator last week. Mr Osborne conceded that “we may well not succeed” but that it was “surely worth the effort”.

The proposed deal, which Mr Osborne and Mr Mitsotakis have held secret talks over, would allow the sculptures to return to Athens in exchange for Greek treasures being displayed in London.

Many of the artworks in question are in storage in museum vaults and have never before been seen.

Mr Mitsotakis, who has said it is his “passion” to get the sculptures back, is scheduled to meet both party leaders next week. He intends to raise the issue in both meetings, a person close to him told the FT.

Mr Sunak is said to be not opposed to the idea of a loan deal but sceptical that the sculptures would ever be returned if they were loaned to Greece, according to the paper.

No 10 has been contacted for comment.

A UK government spokesperson told the FT: “The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations.

“Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country. “

We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.”

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The British Museum's chair, George Osborne, has had secret talks with the Greek premier to discuss a potential loan deal for the Elgin Marbles.

The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is open to a potential loan deal, while the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is skeptical.

A long-term cultural partnership between the UK and Greece could facilitate the return of the Elgin Marbles and improve diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The return of the Elgin Marbles could create a "slippery slope" for other artifact returns, which is a concern for the UK.

The dispute over the Elgin Marbles may impact the UK's reputation in Europe and upcoming elections.

The Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has discussed the return of the Parthenon Marbles with UK leaders, but talks are not progressing well.

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Content: People 's Network > > International
Greece asks British Museum to return Parthenon sculpture
November 27, 2023, 10: 51 | Source: CCTV News Client
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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Mitsotakis is visiting Britain today.
In an interview with BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg, he said that he would discuss "the British Museum's return of the Parthenon Marbles in Greece" when he met with British Prime Minister David Sunak and the leader of Britain's largest opposition Labour Party, Starmer.
Mitsotakis acknowledged that talks on the issue are not progressing well, but that he is "patient" and that Greece has been waiting for more than 200 years.
Mitsotakis also blunt, "the ownership of these artifacts is not controversial, they are Greek, they are simply stolen."
Built in the 5th century BC, the Acropolis is a collection of ancient Greek architecture and sculpture art, and is a human treasure with high cultural value.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the British diplomat Thomas Bruce, "Earl of Elgin", obtained the so-called "permission" from the authorities in Greece under the Ottoman Empire, and cut off a large number of marble architectural decorations and carvings in the Parthenon and even the Acropolis, and shipped them back to Britain.
Later, the British government acquired the stone carvings and exhibited them as a collection of the British Museum.
Greece has long called on the British Museum to return the marble sculptures, which it has “collected ” since 1816, but has been rejected by the British, who say they were“ legally acquired. ”
(Edited by: Cui Ziguo, Cui Yue)
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Greece has waited over 200 years for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, which were taken by the Earl of Elgin in the 19th century.

The British Museum acquired the Parthenon Marbles in 1816, and they are currently displayed in the museum.

Greece claims that the Parthenon Marbles are stolen, not legally acquired, and the British Museum rejects their return, citing legal acquisition.

The return of the Parthenon Marbles could impact UK-Greece cultural and diplomatic relations, and the Greek Prime Minister remains patient, seeking a resolution.

The British Museum and the Greek government are discussing a loan agreement for the Elgin Marbles, with talks at an advanced stage.

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Content: Main content

Reports say a deal to return Elgin Marbles to Greece is at an "advanced stage"

The Greek daily newspaper, Ta Nea, says talks have been taking place between the British Museum and the Greek prime minister since November last year.

The Greek daily newspaper, Ta Nea, says talks have been taking place between the British Museum and the Greek prime minister since November last year.

Also on the programme: an alternative to plastic; and the story of how a fossil, which lay unnoticed in a drawer for over half a century, has advanced our understanding of the origins of reptiles.

(Picture: One of the Parthenon Statues, also known as the Elgin Marbles. Credit: Reuters)

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The discussions between the British Museum and the Greek government have been ongoing for several months, with the subject of the loan being the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Statues.

The loan duration is not specified in the agreement, with a suggested duration of 100 years mentioned but not agreed upon.

Greece has offered to loan treasures to the British Museum as part of the agreement.

The Greek government is seeking the return of 17 sculptures, which are 2,500 years old, as part of the loan agreement.

The UK government has stated that it will not return the Parthenon Marbles permanently, with the British Museum Act 1963 prohibiting the museum from disposing of its collections.

The British Museum has expressed a commitment to sharing the ancient Greek legacy, but its trustees believe that UNESCO involvement is not the best way forward.

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Content: Pressure grows on other restitution cases ahead of first Benin bronze return - Museums Association

Pressure grows on other restitution cases ahead of first Benin bronze return

Several breakthroughs this year have put long-running disputes under the microscope
Geraldine Kendall Adams
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Later this month the University of Cambridge will become the first institution in the UK to officially repatriate a Benin bronze to Nigeria.

Delegates from the country's Benin City, where the sculptures were looted by British forces in the punitive expedition of 1897, will be present for a handover ceremony at Jesus College on 27 October, where they will receive a bronze cockerel that was acquired by the university in 1905.

The milestone is the latest in a year of significant breakthroughs in the dispute over the sculptures; in March, the Ethnological Museum in Berlin's Humboldt Forum announced that it would enter talks with Nigeria to fully repatriate its Benin bronze holdings, and shortly after the University of Aberdeen said it would unconditionally return a Benin sculpture from its collections.

With the issue of restitution under the spotlight like never before, pressure has grown on UK institutions to resolve other long-running disputes over objects acquired in the colonial era.

Last month, a Unesco committee issued a resolution urging the UK Government to revisit its stance on the Parthenon Marbles, which have been the subject of a longstanding repatriation claim by the Greek government. Unesco's International Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property criticised the conditions in which the sculptures are held at the British Museum.

Following the committee session, Greece’s culture minister Lina Mendoni said: “Together with the recommendation that was issued – referring to the poor conditions of exposure that the sculptures are kept in at the British Museum – Greece also achieved a decision from the Intergovernmental Committee that pertains specifically to the return of the Parthenon sculptures.”

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She added: “The committee urgently calls on the United Kingdom to review its position and enter into a discussion with Greece, recognising that the issue is of an intergovernmental nature – in contrast to claims from the British side that it is a matter for the British Museum – and mainly that Greece has a valid and legal claim to demand the return of the sculptures to their place of birth.”

Museums Journal understands that the resolution was met with anger at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), where relations with Unesco have been strained by the international heritage body's decision earlier this year to strip Liverpool’s waterfront of world heritage status, as well as its criticism of the planned Stonehenge tunnel.

A statement from the DCMS said: “We disagree with the committee’s decision adopted in the closing minutes of the session and are raising issues relating to fact and procedure with Unesco. Our position is clear – the Parthenon Sculptures were acquired legally in accordance with the law at the time. The British Museum operates independently of the government and free from political interference. All decisions relating to collections are taken by the museum's trustees.”

British Museum trustees have also made clear that they believe Unesco involvement “isn't the best way forward”. A statement from the institution said: “The British Museum has a long history of collaboration with Unesco and admires and supports its work. The trustees of the British Museum have a legal and moral responsibility to preserve and maintain all the collections in their care and to make them accessible to world audiences.

“The trustees want to strengthen existing good relations with colleagues and institutions in Greece, and to explore collaborative ventures directly between institutions, not on a government-to-government basis. This is why we believe that working in partnership across the world represents the best way forward. Museums holding Greek works, whether in Greece, the UK or elsewhere in the world, are naturally united to show the importance of the legacy of ancient Greece. The British Museum is committed to playing its full part in sharing the value of that legacy.”

Campaigners have also called on the British Museum to return a collection of sacred altar tablets – which have never been displayed or studied due to their sanctity – to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The items were taken during the British military assault on Maqdala in 1868.

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A letter to British Museum trustees this month, signed by high-profile figures including writer Lemn Sissay and former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, said: “We believe that today the British Museum has a unique opportunity to build a lasting and meaningful bridge of friendship between Britain and Ethiopia by handing the tabots back to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.”

The museum’s longstanding position is that the British Museum Act of 1963 legally prevents it from restituting objects, but a new legal opinion, which was sought by campaigners, claims that the tabots could be lawfully returned under a provision in the act allowing for the disposal of objects “unfit to be retained” that can be disposed “without detriment to the interests of students”.

The British Museum is also facing questions about its Benin bronze holdings. A group of contemporary Nigerian artists made headlines worldwide last month when they offered to exchange the historic sculptures for their own works.

“We never stopped making the bronzes even after those ones were stolen,” Osarobo Zeickner-Okoro, a founding member of the Ahiamwen Guild, told Reuters news agency at the time. “I think we make them even better now.”

The British Museum says it is engaged in “sustained and open dialogues” with Nigeria concerning the Benin collections. It is part of the Benin Dialogue Group assisting with the development of the new Edo Museum of West African Art in Benin City, and is also involved in an archaeology project in the city. The British Museum has committed to long-term loans but has not changed its stance on restitution.

Regarding its Maqdala collections, the institution says: “Discussions with Ethiopian partners concerning the Maqdala collections are continuing and the museum is actively invested in these.”

Some heritage professionals have hit back at simplistic media coverage of the issue. In a letter to the Guardian this week, Mike Pitts, editor of British Archaeology magazine, wrote: “The futures of museum collections and public statues are often portrayed by lobbyists and media as a fight between retainers and disposers. The real work is happening behind the scenes: people building new communities on the back of new engagements and research.”

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UNESCO has urged the UK to revisit its stance on the Parthenon Marbles, and has criticized the conditions of the sculptures at the British Museum.

However, the role of UNESCO in the current loan agreement discussions is not mentioned.

The display and conservation requirements for the loan agreement are not specified, with no discussion on the conservation requirements mentioned in the documents.

The Greek prime minister has demanded the return of the Parthenon Marbles to the Acropolis, with Greece having requested their return for over 200 years.

A long-term cultural partnership between the British Museum and the Greek government may facilitate the return of the Parthenon collection, with the British Museum seeking a "cultural exchange" with Greece.

The UK government has proposed a temporary loan of the sculptures to Greece, with the British Museum chair backing a loan deal with Greece.

A proposed deal includes exchanging sculptures for Greek treasures, but the UK government is skeptical of the loan deal.

The return of the Elgin Marbles is a highly sensitive topic, with the UK being wary of setting a precedent for returning artifacts.

The British Museum's collection includes items considered looted, and the return of the Elgin Marbles could have significant consequences for the museum's relationships with other institutions and countries.

The British Museum and the Greek government are engaged in ongoing negotiations regarding the return of the Elgin Marbles, with Greece demanding their permanent return.

The British Museum has proposed a loan agreement for the sculptures, but Greece has rejected this proposal due to an ownership dispute.

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Content: People 's Network > > International
These artefacts set off a "war of words" between Greece and Britain
November 30, 2023 09: 14 | Source: Xinhua Network
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Xinhua News Agency, BEIJING, November 29 (Xinhua) -- A war of words between Greece and Britain over the stone carvings of the Parthenon temple of the Acropolis was escalated on the 28th.
The two countries pointed to each other's actions, which led to the leaders' scheduled meeting on the same day.
Greece, Britain blame each other for meeting cancellation
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday.
However, his remarks in an interview with the British media gave Sunak a last-minute break.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mitsotakis said that the stone carvings of the Parthenon on display at the British Museum "belong to Greece, and it was stolen."
In his view, this is not a dispute over ownership, but a matter of “reunification. ”
Mitsotakis also asked: If the world famous painting Mona Lisa is cut in half and placed in a museum in a different country, will people still appreciate its beauty?
This is a Parthenon marble sculpture taken at the British Museum in London, England, on September 7.
Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Ying
Mitsotakis's remarks caused dissatisfaction with the British side.
Reuters reported on the 28th, citing news from Sunak's office, that the Greek side had previously promised that it would not use Mitsotakis's visit to "re-raise the issue that has been resolved for a long time", that is, the question of the ownership of the stone carvings of the Parthenon Temple.
Sunak's spokesman told reporters that the British side decided to cancel the meeting because the Greek side had "not kept its promise."
Richie Sunak speaks in front of the Prime Minister ’ s House at 10 Downing Street, London, UK, on October 25, 2022.
Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Ying
The BBC quoted a Greek source as saying the Greek side had not made the British commitment.
AFP quoted a Greek government source as saying that the issue of the Parthenon stone carvings was "routinely included in the agenda of the meeting along with other bilateral and international issues" and that "10 Downing Street is aware of this".
Mitsotakis expressed "displeasure" at the British side's temporary cancellation of the meeting and ended his visit to Britain ahead of schedule.
A man visits a Parthenon marble carving at the British Museum in London, UK, on September 7, 2023.
Photo by Xinhua reporter Li Ying
The decision to cancel the meeting has raised questions in the UK.
Former Minister of State for Culture and Digital Economy Ed Weezy, a consultant to the Parthenon Project, told Sky News that the British side's previous position was that the issue of the Parthenon stone carvings should be resolved by the British Museum itself, and that Sunak "did not need" to intervene in this way, which would be detrimental to the relationship between Britain and Greece.
The stalemate between the two sides is difficult to resolve.
Greek Labour and Social Welfare Minister Azzonis Georgiades told the BBC that Mitsotakis's comments about the Parthenon stone carvings were not only personal, but also "the unanimous view of 11 million Greeks", as well as many people around the world.
In the early 19th century, the British diplomat Thomas Bruce, Count of Elgin, obtained "permission" from the authorities in Turkey's Ottoman Greece to cut large numbers of stone carvings from the Parthenon and bring them back to Britain.
The British government later acquired the stone carvings and exhibited them as a collection of the British Museum.
Greece has long demanded that the British Museum permanently return the stone carvings it has collected since 1816, but the British side refused.
Currently, the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum in Greece display different parts of the Parthenon stone sculpture, while the British Museum on display sculpture is called the "Elgin Marble", is the essence of the stone sculpture.
According to AFP, many museums in Western countries, including the British Museum, are under increasing pressure to return cultural relics plundered from other countries.
British law stipulates that the British Museum may not remove the collection from the collection except in certain circumstances, but the law does not prohibit lending.
The British Museum has previously negotiated long-term "loan" of stone sculptures and other plans with Greece.
However, the Greek side does not seem to be able to accept the "loan" proposal.
A spokesman for Mr Sunak said the loan was conditional on Greece accepting the British Museum as the rightful owner. (Reporter: Wang Yijun; video: Tan Ran; editors: Chen Dan, Qiao Ying, Liang Shanggang, Wang Fengfeng)
(Edited by: Cui Ziguo, Cui Yue)
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The Greek government has been trying to retrieve the Parthenon statues since 1983, and UNESCO intervened in 2022 to facilitate talks.

The British Museum Act 1963 prohibits the removal of collections, and the UK has no plans to amend this law, making it difficult to return the Elgin Marbles permanently.

A potential resolution being discussed is a long-term cultural partnership agreement between the British Museum and Greece, which could facilitate the return of the sculptures to Greece.

The British Museum has suggested sharing the sculptures between London and Athens, but Greece is insisting on the permanent return of all the Parthenon stone carvings.

Secret talks have been held between the British Museum director and the Greek prime minister, and a deal to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece is reportedly at an advanced stage.

The UK government is concerned that returning the Elgin Marbles could trigger a wave of disputed artifact returns, and has ruled out changing the relevant regulations.

Greece views the Elgin Marbles as "cutting the Mona Lisa in half" and wants the title to the marbles, but the UK considers them "lent".

The British Museum is protected by law, and there are no plans to change this, making it difficult to reach an agreement on the return of the Elgin Marbles.

The Greek prime minister has called for the reunification of the Parthenon marbles, and has offered to loan treasures to the British Museum in exchange for the return of the sculptures.

A survey has found that over half of the British people support the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles, and the Acropolis Museum in Athens is considered a suitable location for displaying the sculptures.

Title:

Content: Opinion

Bring them home

At the end of August, it was reported that around 2,000 artefacts, including gold jewellery and gems, had been stolen from the British Museum over a long period of time.

Chairman of the trustees, George Osborne acknowledged that the museum’s reputation has suffered as a result of its mishandling of the thefts, which sparked outrage after it was revealed that most of the stolen antiquities may never be recovered due to the museum’s poor record keeping, raising questions about security and leadership.

For decades, the British Museum has argued that the Parthenon Marbles should not be returned to Greece since the country lacks a suitable location for their display.

The Acropolis Museum, on the other hand, has solidified its place among the world’s top ten best museums and is the go-to museum in Athens where one can readily understand why Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization. So, why not return the Parthenon marbles to their rightful home, and how did they end up in the British Museum in the first place?

In the early 1800s, when British aristocrat Lord Elgin sailed home from Greece, he also shipped to England some of the greatest treasures of antiquity, which included a collection of Greek statues and carved frieze panels that once decorated the Parthenon in Athens.

The so-called Elgin Marbles were later sold to the British government with the approval of the Ottomans who ruled Greece at the time and became the most storied artefacts in the British Museum’s collection. They also became the subject of perhaps the world’s most notorious cultural dispute.

The British maintain that the marbles were legally acquired and they belong in a universal museum alongside other artefacts, excluding the 2,000 that were now reportedly stolen. The Greeks, on the other hand, view them as looted treasures that form the cornerstone of their national heritage.

For decades, the issue of the Parthenon Marbles has been on the agenda of the Unesco Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property (ICPRCP). In fact, it was Melina Mercouri, the Greek Minister of Culture at the time, who raised the matter of their return during the 1982 Unesco World Conference.

Although the forum ruled in favour of the cause, stating that restitution of works illegally removed from their countries of origin is a fundamental principle of people-to-people cultural relations, Mercouri’s British counterpart responded that the UK Government “could not intervene in the affairs of a private establishment like the British Museum.”

While efforts are underway to retrieve the stolen antiquities, the British Museum’s collections may never be recovered because the museum’s records only identify the collection as a whole and fail to list the individual pieces.

This is not the first time the museum’s image as a safe keeper of global treasures has been called into doubt. The poor condition of the British Museum’s western block has been recorded numerous times. Images of water leaking into the Parthenon gallery were broadcast on Greek television in 2018, resulting from a cracked glass ceiling pane. Although the glass was replaced with new fixings and no sculptures were destroyed, a leaking roof in 2021 resulted in water seeping through, once again, delaying the reopening of the Greek galleries following the pandemic.

The British Museum claimed that none of the statues had been damaged and the issue was addressed. However, for Greece, these events demonstrate that the British Museum is failing to care for the Parthenon Marbles, reinforcing the country’s legitimate claim that the sculptures be permanently returned to Athens.

Earlier this year, the British Museum moved closer to a landmark agreement with Athens that could result in the return of the marbles. Although existing legislation makes it illegal to give away treasures, Osborne is reportedly seeking to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles as part of a cultural exchange that would see other Greek antiques displayed at the British Museum. Over half of the British people support their repatriation to Greece.

Hundreds of statues from the Archaic and Classical periods can be found at the ultramodern Acropolis Museum. The top level is the museum’s showcase, which provides a visual link to the Acropolis and allows visitors to view both the monument and its sculptures. The majority of the Parthenon Marbles will be displayed there upon their anticipated return.

The Parthenon Sculptures were made in Greece by Greeks to honour the glory of Greece. They represent millions of people’s cultural identities. Greece is their true home. It is where they belong.

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The British Museum has no plans to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece permanently, but may arrange for the sculptures to be loaned to Greece as part of a cultural exchange.

The safe return and preservation of the Elgin Marbles would require careful planning and cooperation between the British Museum and the Greek government, including ensuring the sculptures are properly conserved and displayed.

The negotiations between the British Museum and the Greek government are ongoing, and a resolution to the dispute is still being sought.

The return of the Elgin Marbles could have significant implications for UK-Greece relations, with Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis suggesting that it could shape the future of the relationship between the two countries.

Overall, while there are still significant challenges to be overcome, there is hope that a loan deal or long-term partnership between the British Museum and Greece could provide a resolution to the long-standing dispute over the Elgin Marbles.