Greece hopeful of deal on Parthenon Sculptures as Starmer meets Mitsotakis

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Greece is optimistic of striking a deal with the British Museum on the Parthenon Sculptures as soon as next year, after Downing Street reiterated that Sir Keir Starmer would not stand in the way of an agreement between the two sides.

The UK prime minister met Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his Greek counterpart, in Downing Street on Tuesday for wide-ranging talks. Although Number 10 said the future of the so-called Elgin Marbles was not on Starmer’s agenda, Greek officials said Mitsotakis had raised the subject of the 2,500-year-old carvings.

Talks between the Greek government and the museum have been under way for several years, and Starmer has previously made it clear that he would not block a “loan” accord if the two sides can agree to it.

The current framework under consideration involves shipping parts of the frieze to Athens for specific periods while significant Greek antiquities are put on display in London.

Asked on Tuesday if it would stand in the way of some kind of “loan” of the sculptures to Athens, Number 10 indicated that it would not. “It’s up to the British Museum, as a private organisation, to take decisions in this space,” a spokesperson for Starmer said.

Greek officials welcomed “the fact that the British government will not stand in the way once an agreement is reached with the British Museum”. The museum is located in Starmer’s London constituency of Holborn and St Pancras.

Downing Street has said the government would not repeal a 1963 act that stops any permanent transfer of British Museum artefacts abroad, but talks on an innovative “loan deal” are well advanced.

The British Museum said: “Our conversations have been constructive. But there’s still a bit of a way to go.”

Mitsotakis has previously held talks with George Osborne, former Conservative chancellor and chair of the British Museum, but the two are not scheduled to meet this week.

Since becoming prime minister in 2019, Mitsotakis has made the return of the sculptures a key priority for his government, with foreign minister George Gerapetritis holding talks with Osborne.

Osborne’s appointment as chair in 2021 has led to a more constructive stance on the part of the British Museum’s board, according to people familiar with discussions between Athens and the museum. But they added that some trustees remained resistant to the idea of a deal.

Mitsotakis has been keen to avoid stoking a row over the sculptures, with officials insisting that the focus of this week’s visit was a wider reset in bilateral relations.

Athens is conscious that the political debate around any return of the sculptures is heated in the UK, with some critics suggesting Starmer is too willing to hand over national possessions to overseas governments in the wake of his deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.