Talks between Greece and the British Museum over the return of the Parthenon Sculptures have collapsed, according to The Telegraph.
Greece resumed negotiations with the British Museum in 2021 as part of its efforts to secure the return of the ancient sculptures, which were taken to the United Kingdom in the early 19th century.
However, the negotiations have effectively ended amid Greek frustration over the lack of progress. There are currently “no talks taking place,” and no plans to resume them.
A key point of disagreement is the British Museum’s proposal for a long-term loan of the sculptures. Greece opposes this arrangement because it would require it to recognise the museum’s ownership of them.
While Greece was under Ottoman rule, Lord Elgin removed sculptures and other architectural elements from the Parthenon. In 1816, he sold them to the British government.
In an article published today in The Guardian, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said an agreement could be reached if there is political will, but maintained that Greece cannot accept such terms.
Mitsotakis also wrote that “in 2023, before becoming prime minister, Andy Burnham had called for the Sculptures to be returned ‘with no strings attached,’ adding: ‘Let’s use culture to change the way the world sees Britain.’ I couldn’t agree more.”
Hopes of resolving the dispute had centered on a “hybrid agreement” that would avoid both sides’ legal red lines by being neither a permanent transfer nor a loan.
Sources: Telegraph, The Guardian
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