Mendoni on the Parthenon sculptures: There is this positive climate…but such an agreement takes time

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni commented on the more positive attitude of the current British government toward a possible reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, in an inteview with SKAI radio on Friday, while noting that such an agreement would take time.

“There is a positive climate, which is confirmed by both sides, but as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a recent interview it takes time, and time is obviously needed for such an agreement. However, it is positive that this British government does not have the negativity of previous governments and the British Museum agrees that there is a good climate.

This does not mean that tomorrow morning one can say that the marbles will return to Athens and be reunited. It still takes time and work,” she said. “The Sculptures must be reunited in their entirety, as they are part of the monument. In essence, it is the monument itself that requires reunification, the reunification of the decorative sculpture”, underlined Mendoni. 

She noted that there had been a thaw in relations which had ended an embargo between the Greek culture ministry and the British Museum, leading to agreements and exchanges of cultural goods between the Acropolis Museum, the British Museum, and other public museums. “This is very positive,” she added, while stressing that “by keeping relationships frozen, you never achieve anything, ever.”

Source: AMNA