Greece returns relics to Bulgaria, suggests UK should do the same with Parthenon marbles

Greece and Bulgaria formally exchanged a collection of religious relics and remains in a ceremony marked by significant fanfare, concluding negotiations that had taken decades, according to The Guardian.

The handover included religious objects removed from Greece during the First World War, along with remains believed to belong to Tsar Samuel, a medieval warrior ruler revered in Bulgaria, the report said.

Greece's prime minister reportedly expressed hope that the gesture would help persuade the United Kingdom that the time has come for what was described as "truth, reason, justice and morality" regarding the Parthenon marbles, a collection of ancient sculptures currently held by the British Museum that Greece has long sought to have returned.

The Parthenon marbles dispute has remained a point of diplomatic tension between Greece and the UK for decades, with successive Greek governments calling for their repatriation while British institutions have cited various legal and historical arguments for retaining them.

The Guardian's report did not include a response from UK officials or the British Museum to the Greek prime minister's remarks in the cited excerpt.