Osborne continues talks with Greek officials despite Sunak snubbing Greece’s PM

British MPs slam Sunak over Marbles' snub

Βy Yannis Andritsopoulos, London Correspondent for the Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea ([email protected])

British Museum chair George Osborne met with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis in London this week, just hours before Rishi Sunak snubbed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea can reveal.

The pair discussed the progress that has been made in the negotiations about the possible return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens and agreed to meet again “soon”.

Greek officials tried to keep the meeting secret, denying fresh talks would be held this week between Osborne and the Greek government.

Discussions over the fate of the 2,500-year-old sculptures have been underway since 2021, as Ta Nea exclusively revealed on December 3, 2022.

Gerapetritis, who is negotiating with the British Museum chair "on behalf of the Greek Prime Minister", also attended Mitsotakis’s meeting with Labour leader Keir Starmer on Monday at the Greek ambassador's Mayfair residence.

A source said that the discussion with Osborne was "very cordial". They reviewed the progress made so far and found that "although many issues have been resolved, a number of thorns remain".

Osborne is understood to propose shipping to Athens either one-third or half of the Parthenon Sculptures held in the British Museum for a period of 10 or 15 years. In exchange, ancient Greek artefacts never seen in Britain would be sent on loan to the UK.

Greece's long-standing position is that it seeks the permanent reunification of all the surviving sculptures.

According to sources, Mitsotakis has seen findings from unpublished opinion polls commissioned by his government showing that most Greeks would not accept a ‘partial return’ of the ancient artefacts.

Another option that has been discussed is that of the Marbles’ ‘gradual return’. A source said the ownership thorn can be circumvented with “various legal formulas” that would not require Greece to recognise British ownership of the artefacts.

Mitsotakis said in May that Greece “will never recognise that these sculptures are legally owned by the British Museum”.

“But again, we have to be constructive, and we have to be innovative if a solution is to be found,” he added.

A Greek official speaking on condition of anonymity said that should the two sides manage to reach an agreement, this is unlikely to be unveiled or put into motion until after the upcoming UK general election.

Mitsotakis believes that a Labour government would be “more receptive” to an arrangement that would allow the Marbles to be displayed in Greece.

Speaking on his podcast, Political Currency, Osborne said on Thursday there was a “50:50 chance” of reaching an agreement with Greece.

Sunak was scheduled to meet Mitsotakis on Tuesday. However, the British premier called off the talks late on Monday, allegedly over comments by the Greek PM while in the UK seeking the Parthenon Marbles’ return.

Osborne said negotiations will continue despite a continuing dispute between the two leaders. “We can go on doing it whether or not Rishi Sunak meets the Greek prime minister or not,” he said.

British MPs slam Sunak over Marbles' snub

Speaking to Ta Nea, eight prominent British MPs criticised Sunak for snubbing the Greek Premier and called for the Parthenon Marbles' return to Greece.

“I struggle to understand why the decision was made. It does feel difficult to believe this was on the basis of the Parthenon Marbles … that a meeting was cancelled with a Nato ally, with whom we have an important relationship,” said Alicia Kearns, chair of the foreign affairs select committee in the House of Commons.

"I don't think this was well handled on the UK side. We should always be ready to meet and discuss our differences, which are after all well known on this issue. I'm sure we will get beyond this disagreement quickly enough and it won't affect British-Greek relations," former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said.

"I continue to believe we should work for a special deal, reflecting the uniqueness of the situation and setting no kind of precedent, under which the Marbles can return to Greece," added the Tory peer, who served as a Brexit minister in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet.

“It was weak and petulant and an unnecessary insult to one of our oldest allies. The Greek PM was simply restating his country’s long-standing and understandable policy on the sculptures,” said former culture secretary Ben Bradshaw.

The Labour MP and member of the Parthenon Project body added: “I don’t think Sunak’s behaviour will have jeopardised the talks going on between the British Museum and Greece about a deal which could secure the reunification of the marbles, because he is not likely to be Prime Minister for much longer”.

“I don’t see this damaging bilateral relations for long, as we will hopefully have a Labour Government soon and Prime Minister Mitsotakis had a very warm and constructive meeting with the Labour leader Keir Starmer. But Sunak’s behaviour has further damaged Britain’s international reputation at a time when we need to be building bridges post-Brexit,” Bradshaw said.

He added: “Labour has confirmed that it would not stand in the way of a deal that is achievable under the law, which is very much in line with the views of the British public. The British public significantly support the return of the Sculptures. The British people are also supportive of a win-win partnership between Greece and the U.K. ?It is ok to agree to disagree on the issue of ownership and agree a deal that benefits everyone, with the sculptures reunified in Athens.”

“The establishment of a non-profit, bilateral Foundation which could raise funds and support the reimagination of the Duveen Gallery into a cutting-edge, contemporary Hellenic Gallery would offer a fresh source of inspiration to the visiting public from the U.K. and globally. It’s a win-win for Greece and the U.K.” Bradshaw said.

“The Prime Minister’s inability to discuss this matter with Prime Minister Mitsotakis and the Greek administration, a longstanding ally of the UK, is regrettable. Our proposal would benefit both the UK and Greece and has already garnered widespread public support in both countries”, said former culture minister Ed Vaizey.

The Tory peer, who chairs the Parthenon Project, which campaigns to return the Parthenon sculptures to Athens, added: “The UK government would do well not to stand in the way of a deal that would benefit the country – helping to breathe new life into the wonderful British Museum whilst refreshing the cultural scene in the UK for the next generation.”

He said: “It’s imperative that as a campaign, we remain forward focussed. We will continue to present our position of agreeing to disagree on the question of ownership, and be pragmatic about a ‘win-win’ solution that would benefit both Greece and the UK.”

“There is a way forward where both Greece and the UK can agree to disagree on the issue of ownership and strike a deal that benefits both sides, with the sculptures reunified in Athens. The Parthenon Project believe that there is a further opportunity to establish a non-profit, bilateral Foundation which could raise funds and support the reimagination of the Duveen Gallery into a cutting-edge, contemporary Hellenic Gallery – offering a fresh source of inspiration to the visiting public,” Vaizey said.

“I believe Rishi Sunak's decision to cancel the meeting with the Greek PM was shocking and discourteous. ?It was embarrassing for the UK to be behaving like a small child,” Alf Dubs, the veteran Labour peer, said.

He added: “I hope we can repair UK relations with Greece, maybe we'll need a Labour government to do that. I believe the Marbles should be returned, maybe on a long-term loan if necessary.”

"The adolescent petulance of cancelling the Greek premier is unworthy of any aspiring statesman. Contrast Mr Sunak’s cringe-worthy job interview with Elon Musk and our Prime Minister’s leadership looks even more erratic,” said Shami Chakrabarti, the Labour peer and former shadow attorney general for England and Wales.

“One minute he hosts international summits on Advanced Intelligence; the next he spurns so-called foreign courts in both London and Strasbourg over his treatment of refugees. Basic intelligence suggests Britain needs friends not enemies. We need cultural exchange not culture war,” added Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, who is a member of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM).

“A Labour Government should strive to reunite the Parthenon Sculptures in their beautiful Athenian home,” she said.

“Why can’t we just take a mould, copy the Marbles in a cement composite, and return them to Greece where they belong? If the copying process is carried out with care with special attention to the materials used museum visitors won’t even know the difference,” said Labour peer Lord Dale Campbell-Savours.

“I think Rishi Sunak has been childish. Nations have to speak and have dialogue even when they disagree. Through better understandings are reached and international tensions can be dissolved”, Prem Sikka, the Labour peer, said.

“The bone of contention is the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece and they must be returned to their rightful place. ?The UK is the home of the world's largest collection of stolen culturally significant artefacts and they must all be returned. The colonial era has long passed and that must be celebrated by returning the objects to the rightful people,” Lord Sikka added. ?

This news report was published in the Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea (www.tanea.gr) on 2 December 2023.

? 2023 Yannis Andritsopoulos and Ta Nea All Rights Reserved

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