The UK government has stated that it will not change the law that prohibits the removal of artifacts from the British Museum. The decision to cancel a meeting between the prime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and UK Prime Minster Rishi Sunak has stirred up diplomatic tensions between the two countries. The meeting was meant to take place on Tuesday but was canceled, leading to Greece expressing its displeasure over the decision.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden offered Mr. Mitsotakis a meeting instead, but he refused the offer. The cancelation comes following comments by Mr. Mitsotakis on whether the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Marbles, should be returned to Greece by Britain. The UK government has maintained that the marbles should remain part of the permanent collection of the British Museum, citing the 1963 British Museum Act that prohibits the removal of objects from the institution’s collection.
Although the UK government has expressed its clear stance on the issue, there has been mention of the possibility of a loan deal if agreed upon by the British Museum and the Greek government. However, the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM), which has long campaigned for the reunification of the Elgin Marbles, opposes the idea of “lending” the marbles to Greece, instead advocating for their return to the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
The decision to refuse to meet with Mr. Mitsotakis has been criticized, with opponents claiming that it demonstrates “truly shocking disrespect” and can only serve to weaken the government’s case for the retention of the marbles. Despite the cancelation of the meeting, discussions continue between the UK and Greece about “important matters.”
The British Museum has contended that there is a “positive advantage and public benefit” in having some of the sculptures in London. The issue of the ancient sculptures has been a point of contention for years, with both Greece and the UK expressing their respective positions on the matter.