Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticizes his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, for canceling their scheduled meeting over a row revolving around Parthenon sculptures.
Mitsoktakis had been hoping that he would have the chance to raise the issue at the talks as disagreements over the antiquities were renewed. Aides described Sunak's decision as "wrong and undignified," the Greek PM expressed his irritation at the meeting being canceled at the last minute.
Kyriakos Mitsoktakis Slams Rishi Sunak
As the center-right leader visited London, he released a statement saying that traditionally strong ties of friendship unite Greece and Britain. He added that the two countries' bilateral relations framework is exceptionally broad.
Mitsotakis said that he was looking forward to discussing Greece's views on the Parthenon sculptures along with other international challenges. These include Gaza, Ukraine, the climate crisis, and migration, among other issues.
The statement ended with the Greek PM berating his British counterpart for supposedly failing to rise to the challenge of talking about the fate of the antiquities. The Guardian says these sculptures have spawned the West's longest-running cultural row.
It added, "Whoever believes in the correctness and justice of his views is never afraid of opposing arguments." Mitsotakis had been due to visit Downing Street around lunchtime on Tuesday, the last day of his UK trip.
But on Monday evening, while speaking with the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, he was told that Sunak was canceling their meeting. Officials who were traveling with Mitsotakis said that there was no doubt that his comments regarding the sculptures played a role in Sunak canceling their appointment.
On Sunday, the Greek leader interviewed Laura Kuenssberg, reiterating his country's longstanding request for the Parthenon antiquities to be reunited with other sculptures. The latter are located beneath the temple they had once adorned. Mitsotakis added that the division of the artwork between London and Athens was like cutting the Mona Lisa in half.
Row Over Parthenon Antiquities
The 2,500-year-old sculptures were removed by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. According to Reuters, the Greek government had been talking with British Museum chair George Osborn about the possibility of a loan deal for the sculptures.
Mitsotakis also expressed his disagreement over the fact that discussions of the potential return of the Parthenon antiquities were not progressing fast enough. On the other hand, a British government official, who asked to be anonymous, said that the row over the sculptures meant that it was not suitable for the meeting.
After the cancellation of the meeting, the British government offered Mitsotakis to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden instead of Sunak. A senior Conservative source noted that it became impossible for the talks to move forward following commentary regarding the Elgin Marbles.
He added that their position is clear that the Elgin Marbles are part of the permanent collection of the British Museum and belong within. He said that it was reckless for any British politician to suggest that this is subject to negotiation, according to BBC.
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