Greek PM urges UK PM to return Elgin Marbles permanently

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to permanently return the Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, to Greece. Mitsotakis expressed surprise at the British Museum's suggestion that a loan of the Bayeux Tapestry could serve as a model for an agreement, stating Greece cannot accept arrangements that acknowledge the British Museum's ownership or involve "borrowing" parts of its own monument. He called for a decisive step to reunite the sculptures and transform the dispute into an act of cultural friendship. Mitsotakis referenced Sunak's previous 2023 comments supporting the unconditional return of the sculptures, before Sunak recently stated it is an issue for the British Museum. The sculptures were removed from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 19th century under permission from the Ottoman Empire.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that a deal to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece is possible with "political will and courage." However, he emphasized that Greece will not accept any arrangement that recognizes the British Museum's ownership or involves "borrowing" parts of their own monument. Mitsotakis made these remarks in an article for The Guardian, responding to a suggestion by the British Museum director that a loan of the Bayeux tapestry could serve as a model. He argued the Parthenon marbles situation is different, as half the frieze is already in Athens. The dispute over the marbles, removed by Lord Elgin over 200 years ago, is a long-standing cultural disagreement between Greece and the UK.