British Prime Minister Boris Johnson instructed his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday that the problem of the Parthenon sculptures, which Greece desires returned from London to Athens, was one for the British Museum and never for his authorities.
Greece has been asking since 1832 for the return of the sculptures, which had been faraway from the Parthenon temple in Athens within the early nineteenth century by British diplomat Lord Elgin at a time when Greece was underneath Ottoman rule.
Johnson’s workplace mentioned Mitsotakis raised the problem of the sculptures when the 2 leaders met in Downing Road.
“The Prime Minister (Johnson) mentioned that he understood the power of feeling of the Greek folks on this concern, however reiterated the UK’s longstanding place that this matter is one for the trustees of the British Museum,” a press release mentioned.
This contradicted Mitsotakis, who mentioned final week the problem was a matter for negotiation between the 2 governments.
Identified in Britain because the Elgin Marbles, the sculptures make up about half of a 160-metre frieze that adorned the Parthenon, a fifth century BC architectural masterpiece. Many of the different surviving sculptures are in Athens.
The British Museum says there are not any present discussions with the Greek authorities on the problem. It says Elgin acted legally when he eliminated the sculptures from Athens, and they’re “an important factor on this interconnected world assortment”.
Johnson had instructed a Greek newspaper in March that the sculptures “had been legally acquired by Lord Elgin underneath the suitable legal guidelines of the time and have been legally owned by the British Museum’s trustees since their acquisition”.
(Reuters)