Not only are the UK and Greece in secret negotiations over the return of the Parthenon marbles, but they are "90 per cent" in agreement, according to sources in both governments. The commitment would consist of the delivery of the jewels to Athens to be the star of a new archaeological museum, in exchange for the loan to London of other valuable pieces that have never been seen in this country.
The director of the British Museum and former British Finance Minister, George Osborne, has met secretly in a hotel in the English capital with the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to discuss the issue, the second meeting between the two after "talks exploratory sessions” which took place last month at the residence of the Hellenic ambassador in Mayfair.
A survey indicates that 53% of the British agree on the return of the marbles to Greece to end a dispute of several centuries between the two nations, since Lord Elgin – the ambassador of Great Britain to the Ottoman Empire – transferred his property to the British Museum in 1816 after having obtained permission to “buy” them, in his version of events, for a ridiculous price, and remove them from the Parthenon. Athens has been officially requesting his return since 1983.
Until now the position of the British Museum has been that it does not object to "lend" the marbles to Greece, but provided it is clear that it continues to retain ownership of the marbles. Successive governments of Athens have refused to not accept this premise and not set the legal precedent that they renounce treasures that are part of their national heritage and have been the object of colonial plunder.
The museum, according to its statutes, lacks the authority to return the marbles to Greece without the consent of the British government. Both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, the last two prime ministers, vetoed the idea, but Rishi Sunak is more open to an "imaginative solution" and has empowered Osborne, the director of the Bloomsbury institution, to secretly negotiate the possible terms.
"We could reach an agreement if there are no preconditions or red lines on either side," Osborne said. The British Museum believes that there should be a quid pro quo, and "active collaboration" with the Greek authorities to obtain loans of high-value classical pieces that have hitherto been impossible. "There is important progress and the return is possible," commented Mitsotakis for his part after giving a lecture at the London School of Economics, and being received by King Carlos III in Windsor.
"Legally we cannot dismantle our collection and give up one of its main jewels, but we are looking for an agreement based on exchanges that benefit both parties," said a British executive.
