Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out the return of the 2,500-year-old Elgin Marbles to Athens ahead of the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Downing Street this morning.
This is despite reports that negotiations to reinstall the ancient sculptures to Greece are “well-advanced” and a deal could be imminent.
Today marks Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s first official visit to the UK since his row with former prime minister Rishi Sunak over the Marbles – commonly known as the Parthenon Sculptures.
Greece maintain that the artefacts – currently on display at the British Museum – were removed illegally from Athens during a time of foreign occupation.
Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out the return of the 2,500-year-old Elgin Marbles to Athens ahead of the Greek Prime Minister’s visit to Downing Street this morning
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The statues were taken in 1816 by then-British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Lord Elgin, although Britain has long denied allegations of their “illegal” removal.
They have been a source of political controversy for decades. The diplomatic quarrel climaxed when Sunak cancelled a meeting with Mitsotakis last year after the Greek prime minister pushed for the sculptures to return.
Mitsotakis is reportedly “desperate” for the Marbles’ reinstatement, likening their separation from Greece to “cutting the Mona Lisa in half.”
A No10 spokesperson has said the classical Grecian statues are not currently the top priority for the PM, saying “his focus will be on support for Ukraine” and “the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza.”
“The government has no plans to change the law to permit a permanent move of the Parthenon Sculptures” the spokesperson added.
Downing Street maintains that the Marbles “remain a matter for the British museum.” Experts have said negotiations between museum chair George Osborne and the Greek foreign ministry are progressing and a deal is “close.”
Greece maintain that the artefacts – currently on display at the British Museum – were removed illegally from Athens during a time of foreign occupation
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It is rumoured that an agreement could result in an exchange of the sculptures for other famed Grecian artworks.
A British Museum spokesperson said: “Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon partnership are ongoing and constructive.
“We believe that this kind of long-term partnership would strike the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world, and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we hold at the museum.”
