The return of Elgin Marbles will strengthen the UK’s global position, says Greek PM

The Greek Prime Minister has urged Boris Johnson to return the ancient monuments to Greece during his visit to the UK, saying the move would strengthen Britain’s international Brexit status.

“It’s my favorite topic and not the bottom line on my trip to the UK,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the Financial Times on Tuesday, referring to the “Elgin Marbles” taken from Parthenon in Athens for the first time. 19th century. “There is a very strong reconnecting conflict which I consider to be very important.”

“I would sit in PM’s shoes and think outside the Britannia world box office, and the idea of ​​Britain playing a part in the post Brexit world, [it] it would be interesting to have a public discussion if they could look at it differently, “he said.

The return of the Elgin Marbles has been the subject of controversy for more than 200 years as Greece has repeatedly called for its return.

Seventeen figures and about half a frieze decorated in the fifth century BC Parthenon were removed by Lord Thomas Elgin, British ambassador and art collector, while Greece was under Ottoman rule, who sold them to the British Museum.

On Tuesday a Greek leader met with Johnson to discuss a number of issues of foreign policy including repatriation.

Johnson has previously denied calls for the return of the stones to Greece, insisting they were “legally obtained”. Daily Greek speech Ta Nea Earlier this year, he said: “The UK government has a strong, long standing stance on sculptures, meaning that they were legally acquired by Lord Elgin under the appropriate laws of the time and have been legally owned by the British Museum since they acquired them. to buy. ”

According to Mitsotakis, in 1986 Melina Mercouri, Greece’s minister of culture and hardworking for the return of marble, was summoned by Johnson to Oxford Union to discuss the matter and at the time was a staunch supporter of the marble.

For years the biggest controversy over the restoration of the sculpture was Greece’s lack of a good exhibition space but in 2009 Greece established an art gallery below the Acropolis.

“When you visit the Acropolis museum you will understand what I mean. That’s where you should see sculptures,” said Mitsotakis, referring to the sculpture plaster found in London near the original fragments left by Elgin. He emphasized that Elgin Marbles is an important pillar and not an artist.

The Greek leader said he understood how the British Museum said that a possible return of the sculpture would make “anyone inquire about anything in the museum” but insisted Elgin Marbles was a “special case”.

In exchange for the return, Mitsotakis said he was very open to give the British Museum the opportunity to discover ancient artifacts and treasures that did not leave Greece as part of an exhibition around the future.

Prior to the meeting Tuesday, Downing Street said the existence of the stone quarry was a “only” issue for archeology and not the UK government.

“Any collection-related decisions are made by the trustees of the museum and any question about the whereabouts of the Parthenon statues and their case,” Downing Street said.

But Mitsotakis insisted he would continue to negotiate with the government and the museum on the matter.