What is this tension between Greece and the United Kingdom surrounding the Parthenon frost?

An imbroglio around the Parthenon’s frieze exhibited in the British Museum, and the diplomatic relationship between them. United Kingdom And this Greece captures up to at home 20 minutesWe summarize the situation for you.

What happened ?

Greece’s prime minister has cut short a visit to the United Kingdom after a meeting with his British counterpart on Tuesday was cancelled. On Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak He canceled a meeting with his ally, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which had been scheduled for midday on Tuesday, expressing his “dissatisfaction” and cutting his trip short, according to Athens.

The appearance of tension? The Parthenon frieze is on display British Museum. Athens demands the work back, London refuses. “Greece’s positions on the issue of the Parthenon frieze are well known. I was hoping to have a chance to discuss it with my British partner,” lamented Kyriakos Mitsotakis. On Tuesday, Downing Street explained the cancellation of the meeting, saying the Greek leader had failed to keep his commitment not to use his visit as a “public forum” on the issue.

Whose are these friezes?

London says the sculptures were “legally acquired” in 1802 by British diplomat Lord Elgin, who sold them to the Museum of London. It claims that they were the object of “plunder” when Greece was under Ottoman occupation. said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a staunch supporter of returning the famous ancient marbles to Athens. BBC Keeping part of the Parthenon outside of Greece is “cutting the Mona Lisa (Mona Lisa) in two”.

“It’s not a question of ownership for me, it’s a question of reunification,” he added, particularly scattered between the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum in London. “The issue of the marbles was on the agenda of the meeting along with other bilateral and international issues (…) Downing Street was aware,” a Greek government source insisted on Tuesday.

What’s next?

For Greece, the solution may come from British resistance. Greek PM meets Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer, given by popular vote to the winner of elections scheduled for the following year. The Labor leader told the Greek prime minister before the interview that a Labor government would not change the law, but would not object to a loan acceptable to the British Museum and the Greek government.

Rishi Sunak has always been “consistent” and believes the Parthenon marbles are “an important asset” to the United Kingdom, which has “protected” the heritage for “generations”, his spokesman said on Monday. At the top of the Acropolis, the Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC in honor of the goddess Athena. The new Acropolis Museum, opened in 2009, has dedicated a space to house the Parthenon friezes.

OO with AFP