Greek PM Says Deal on Parthenon Marbles Still Possible With 'Political Will'

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that a deal to return the Parthenon marbles to Greece remains achievable, provided there is sufficient political will and courage on both sides, while ruling out any arrangement that would see Athens accept British Museum ownership of the sculptures.

Writing in the wake of the Bayeux tapestry's arrival in Britain on loan from France, Mitsotakis argued that a similar loan-style arrangement would not be acceptable for the Parthenon sculptures, since Greece regards them as its own cultural property rather than objects to be borrowed back temporarily.

According to Mitsotakis, Greece cannot accept any arrangement that would require it to recognise the British Museum's ownership of the sculptures, or a scheme under which Greece would effectively 'borrow' parts of what it considers its own monument.

The Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were removed from the Acropolis in Athens more than two centuries ago and have remained in the British Museum's collection since, a source of longstanding diplomatic and cultural friction between Greece and the United Kingdom.

Mitsotakis's comments come amid renewed public attention to the debate following the tapestry's high-profile visit, which he suggested demonstrates that important cultural artefacts can move between countries under arrangements that respect the lending nation's ownership.

No new formal negotiations between the Greek and British governments were announced in connection with the prime minister's remarks. The British Museum has previously maintained its own legal position regarding ownership of the sculptures, and any resolution would likely require action from the UK government as well as the museum.

The issue continues to draw attention from cultural heritage advocates internationally, with polling cited in past coverage suggesting support among both Greek and British publics for the sculptures' return to Athens.