The standoff between Greece and the United Kingdom has turned into a diplomatic row after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled a scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday, November 28, with his Greek counterpart.

The latest row is the longstanding dispute over the Parthenon Sculptures, commonly known as the Elgin Marbles, which has now turned into a diplomatic issue between the two nations.

According to the BBC, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis turned down a meeting with the deputy prime minister of the UK, offered as an alternative after PM Sunak could not meet him.

However, the Greek PM expressed his displeasure over the cancellation of the scheduled meeting, according to The Guardian.

“I

The statement reiterated the enduring strength of the friendship between Greece and Britain, emphasising their broad bilateral relations. It underscored that Greece’s perspective on the Parthenon Sculptures is well-established. PM Mitsotakis further expressed his disappointment, “I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart along with other international challenges: Gaza; Ukraine; the climate crisis; migration.”

The Greek Prime Minister was scheduled to visit Downing Street at lunchtime on Tuesday, marking the conclusion of his UK trip. However, on Monday evening, during discussions with Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, news emerged that Rishi Sunak won’t be available for the planned meeting, the BBC report added.

What is the latest row over Parthenon Sculptures?

In an exclusive interview with BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, the Greek PM reiterated his country’s enduring plea for the Parthenon treasures to be “reunited” with the other sculptures originally situated beneath the temple they adorned. He likened the current division of the artwork between London and Athens to the unsettling concept of “cutting the Mona Lisa in half.”

Also Read: Israel, Hamas extend Gaza truce as 11 more hostages freed

Huffington Post further quoted him saying, “This is exactly what happened with the Parthenon Sculptures and that is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum.” He added that such a partnership would facilitate the return of the sculptures to Greece, enabling people to appreciate them in their authentic historical context.

On the other hand, a spokesperson from 10 Downing Street emphasised the significance of the UK-Greece relationship, citing collaboration in NATO, joint efforts on issues such as illegal migration, and shared endeavours to address crises in the Middle East and Ukraine.

According to the BBC, a senior Conservative source conveyed that the cancellation of the meeting was inevitable due to pre-meeting commentary on the Elgin Marbles. The source reiterated the UK’s stance that the Elgin Marbles are an integral part of the British Museum's permanent collection and firmly belong in the UK.

What is the dispute over Elgin Marbles?

The Elgin Marbles, crafted 2,500 years ago, were transported to Britain in the 19th century by British ambassador Lord Elgin. Lord Elgin obtained permission from Ottoman authorities, who governed Athens for four centuries, to remove the sculptures from the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens.

This collection comprises figures, friezes, and panels currently housed in the British Museum. The museum received a formal request for the permanent return of all sculptures to Greece in 1983. Roughly half of the surviving marble works are in London, while the remainder is located in a specially constructed museum beneath the Acropolis in Athens.

However, the British Museum is legally constrained from relinquishing ownership of the sculptures due to the 1963 British Museum Act, which prohibits the removal of objects from the collection. The museum has faced mounting calls to re-evaluate its artefacts, including the Benin Bronzes, which are regarded as crucial to Africa's cultural heritage, allegedly looted in 1897 by a British military expedition.

George Osborne, the former chancellor and current British Museum chairman, had expressed interest in exploring ways to display the Elgin Marbles in Greece.

Would the UK consider returning the artefacts?

As reported by DW, in March this year, the UK Prime Minister asserted that the United Kingdom would not be amending a British law that currently prevents the return of the Parthenon fragments to Greece. However, the opposition parties see this as a failure of PM Sunak.

“If the Prime Minister cannot engage with a crucial European ally with whom Britain shares significant economic ties, it underscores his inability to provide the serious economic leadership our country needs. Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is prepared and ready,” a spokesperson of the Labour Party remarked, BBC reported.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)