‘Some distance’ remains in Parthenon Sculptures deal, says British Museum chair

A deal to return the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens is “still some distance” away, the head of the British Museum, which houses most of them, has said.

George Osborne confirmed that his institution is looking at an agreement that would see some of the contested sculptures come back to Athens in return for Greek treasures being put on display in London.

But the chairman of the British Museum and former chancellor cautioned that, while the museum is in talks with Greek officials, any agreement is a long way off.

“Well I think the clue is that I’m in New York rather than in London, and of course I would be in London if we were on the verge of reaching an agreement with Greece around the Parthenon Sculptures,” Osbourne told the Political Currency podcast.

“We’re looking to see if we can come to some arrangement where at some point some of the sculptures are in Athens, where, of course, they were originally sighted. And in return, Greece lends us some of its treasures, and we made a lot of progress on that, but we’re still some distance from any kind of agreement.”

The marbles are part of a 2,500-year-old frieze that was taken from the Acropolis in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin and put on display in the British Museum. Athens says they were removed illegally and wants them returned so they can be displayed alongside the rest of the Parthenon Sculptures at a purpose-built museum in Athens.

Osborne also commended Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of the issue, who is seen to be more open to the idea of returning the sculptures than his predecessor.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Starmer in Downing Street this week and raised the issue.

“From what I can gather from the meeting with Keir Starmer, is that Keir Starmer has said, this is very much a matter for the trustees of the British Museum, who are independent of the government,” Osborne said.

“It’s not the same as Rishi Sunak, who refused to see the Greek prime minister.”

Earlier this week, a Greek official told the London Times that “progress for the return of the Parthenon Marbles has been made by the two sides and that is why Mitsotakis is meeting with the British prime minister.”

“Nothing is in hiding. Nothing is hidden,” they added.

A British Museum spokesperson said discussions 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,” they added.

Source: ekathimerini.com