In an official statement by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, shared by his office last Monday, Nov. 27, he expressed his "annoyance" with the last-minute cancellation of his supposed meeting with British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, which was reportedly due to the Greek PM's TV comments regarding the Parthenon Sculptures.
The meeting with Sunak was primarily planned to be held this Tuesday before it was abruptly canceled despite Mitsotakis' arrival in the UK earlier this weekend. This sudden change prompted the Greek PM to release his statement.
"I express my annoyance at the fact that the British Prime Minister canceled our scheduled meeting a few hours before it was due to take place," he said before continuing, "Greece and Britain are united by traditional ties of friendship," and adding how transparent the country has been when it comes to its position on the Parthenon Sculptures issue.
Mitsotakis ended his statement by saying, "Anyone who believes his stance is right and just is never afraid of opposing arguments."
Visitors view the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles, at the British Museum in London on January 9, 2023. - The ancient sculptures were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.
Greece's Position on the Parthenon Sculptures Disagreement
In the past, Greece has reportedly requested the return of the marble sculptures, which the British diplomat Lord Elgin originally took from their original location in the Parthenon temple of Athens during the 19th century as an ambassador for the Ottoman Empire.
Last Sunday, Mitsotakis referenced this when he told BBC during an interview that the marbled artifacts were "essentially stolen," and that the Greek government will not cease its lobbying and efforts to gain a "partnership" with the UK.
He added that this issue is, in essence, a "reunification argument" about the rightful place in which one can "best appreciate" what is basically "one monument." He continued by saying, "It's as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you would have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum."
As reported by CNN, a spokesman for Sunak said to reporters this Tuesday, Nov. 30, that the meeting was canceled due to the Greek government breaking their "reassurances" of not using the UK visit as a means to publicly broadcast about the ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures. The Greek government had then promptly denied that they had made such a promise.
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The Parthenon Sculptures and its History
The sculptures belong to a collection known as the Elgin Marbles, comprising over 30 ancient Greek stone sculptures, that are all currently held at the British Museum in London. The marble artifacts date more than 2,000 years back and were first transported to Britain in the early 1800s by the 7th Earl of Elgin, Thomas Bruce.
Visitors view the Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles, at the British Museum in London on January 9, 2023. - The ancient sculptures were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.
Most of the pieces of the Elgin Marbles are from the Parthenon temple in Athens, which includes the heated subject of the debates. Reportedly, the temple was built in the 5th century BC. Other pieces of the Elgin Marbles belong to scattered temples around the area, with the older pieces coming from the Treasury of Atreus in Mycenae.
The artifacts mainly show scenes from Greek history and mythology, with the biggest piece stretching over 75 meters depicting a procession done for the Greek goddess Athen's birthday.
The main controversy lies with the question of whether or not the Elgin Marbles were stolen. As referenced by the Greek PM, one pertinent detail was Lord Elgin's "transferral" of the artifact. The lord insisted that he had permission from the Ottoman Empire which had control of Athens at the time, but that written permission is still lost and its wording is the fuel to the current heated argument.
