Greeks Still Sceptical Britain Will Return Parthenon Marbles

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published December 05, 2024 | 07:09 PM

"Positive" talks between Greece and the British Museum over the Parthenon Marbles have rekindled hope that the ancient friezes could be on their way back to Athens after more than two centuries

Athens/, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2024) "Positive" talks between Greece and the British Museum over the Parthenon Marbles have rekindled hope that the ancient friezes could be on their way back to Athens after more than two centuries.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Downing Street on Tuesday just as the British Museum confirmed it had been holding "constructive" negotiations with Athens.

The next day museum chairman George Osborne said the London institution was exploring an "arrangement where at some point some of the sculptures" could be sent to Athens in return for Greece lending the museum "some of its treasures".

But Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni cautioned Thursday that an agreement still "requires time and work".

She told Skai radio that the two sides had "broken the ice" and that negotiations were going on in a "positive climate".

"It is positive that the (Labour) government does not have the negativity of prior governments," Mendoni said.

She insisted that the "natural place" to display the marbles was the Acropolis Museum, built for the purpose below the ancient temple in 2009.