Greece refutes any commitment to refrain from relocating Parthenon Sculptures during UK visit

The UK government, specifically Number 10 Downing Street, is currently engaged in a dispute with Greece after cancelling a meeting between Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Downing Street believed that Mitsotakis would not discuss the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, during his visit to the UK. However, a Greek source denied this claim. Mitsotakis had mentioned the sculptures in a BBC interview, stating that having them split between London and Athens was akin to dividing the Mona Lisa in half. As a result, the PM's meeting with Mitsotakis was cancelled abruptly. The Labour Party has criticized this move as "pathetic." A Greek government source has rejected claims that assurances were given to the UK regarding Mitsotakis' discussion of the marbles while in the country. They stated that discussions leading up to the meeting with the UK PM had been smooth until late Monday, after Mitsotakis' interview with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday. The Parthenon Sculptures are a collection of ancient Greek artifacts taken from the Parthenon in Athens by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the 19th century. They have been housed in the British Museum since 1832, with the exception of a brief period during World War II and a loan to a Russian museum in 2014. The transportation secretary, Mark Harper, expressed regret that the meeting between the two countries was cancelled, and Mitsotakis declined an offer to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden instead. The dispute has sparked opinions from various individuals, such as Professor Irene Stamatoudi, who compared Sunak's actions to those of Lord Elgin and accused the diplomat of smuggling artifacts to decorate his Scottish country house. Stamatoudi argued that it was impossible for the Greek PM not to address questions about the Parthenon Sculptures. While Sunak aims to defend the marbles' presence in London, Mitsotakis expressed disappointment at the abrupt cancellation of the meeting. Sources claim that Mitsotakis was both baffled and annoyed by the situation. During his visit to the UK, Mitsotakis met with Labour leader Keir Starmer and will return to Greece after other scheduled meetings. The Greek government spokesperson criticized the UK's attitude, stating that "Britain's attitude shows no respect for the prime minister and our country." However, they clarified that the Greek government did not want to escalate the issue due to their good relations with the UK. The dispute is part of a broader debate regarding the place of museums and their collections in a post-colonial world. Lord Vaizey, chairman of the advisory board for the Parthenon Project, expressed surprise at the cancellation of the meeting. He stated that it is tied to the culture wars and challenges the idea that criticizing British history is unpatriotic. He also mentioned that polls indicate public support for the return of the sculptures to Greece. Labour Party distanced itself from reports suggesting openness to a legal solution for returning the sculptures. Instead, they stated that if the British Museum and the Greek government reached a loan agreement, a Labour government would not oppose it. The UK government clarified that there are no plans to change the 1963 British Museum Act, which prohibits the removal of objects from the museum's collection. However, a loan agreement could still be possible without a change in the law.