London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Greece, Britain discussing Parthenon Sculptures return but deal not close, Athens says

Greece, Britain discussing Parthenon Sculptures return but deal not close, Athens says

The Greek government on Monday said that a deal with Britain over the repatriation of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens was not imminent but the two sides were in talks on the long-running dispute.
The British government also said it had no plans to change laws which prevent the removal of such items from the Britsh Museum's collection. The museum, custodian of the sculptures known in Britain as the Elgin Marbles, also reiterated it would not dismantle its collection.

Greece has repeatedly called for the permanent return from the British Museum of the 2,500-year-old sculptures, which British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Greece's then-ruler.

Greece's Ta Nea newspaper on Saturday reported that negotiations were at an advanced stage and cited a Greek source as saying that an agreement was 90% complete but that "a critical 10% remains unresolved".

"Since the beginning of its term the government has been and is in talks with the British side," government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said on Monday when asked about the media reports.

"These discussions are at a preliminary stage. We are far from announcements or a final deal," he said.

Last week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who faces elections in 2023, said that there was "progress" and a sense of "momentum" in talks with Britain to reunite the sculptures in Greece.

The British Museum has always ruled out returning the marbles, which include about half of the 160-metre (525-ft) frieze that adorned the Parthenon, and insists they were legally acquired.

The museum said in a statement on Monday it would not dismantle its collection "as it tells a unique story of our common humanity". However, it said it wanted to forge a new "Parthenon Partnership" with Greece.

"We are seeking new positive, long-term partnerships with countries and communities around the world, and that of course includes Greece," it said.

Asked about British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's position on their return, a spokesman said Britain had no plans to change laws which prevent removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances.

"Our position on this hasn't changed. Decisions relating to the care and management of the collections are a matter for the museum and its trustees," the spokesman said.

Citing a British official, Greece's ANT1 TV said on Sunday that the only way to return the sculptures to Greece without violating British law was "if the British Museum opened a kind of annex in Greece".

In March, the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO urged Greece and Britain to reach a settlement on the issue.

Greece stepped up its campaign for the return of the marbles after opening a new museum in 2009 at the foot of the Acropolis hill that it hopes will one day house them.

In 2019, Greece said it could loan treasures to the British Museum in return for being able to temporarily exhibit the Parthenon marbles and that such a proposal was not altering its long-standing demand for their permanent return.

This year, the so-called "Fagan fragment", a 35-by-31-cm (12-by-14-inch) piece showing the foot of the seated ancient Greek goddess Artemis, which was part of the 5th century BC temple's eastern frieze, was permanently returned to Athens from a museum in Italy.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×