British Museum and Greek PM ‘held talks over return of Elgin Marbles’

Keir Starmer is thought to be more open to the idea of returning the Elgin Marbles than predecessor Rishi Sunak

The Greek prime minister has reportedly held private meetings with British Museum officials ahead of his visit to the UK this week, where the return of the Elgin Marbles was discussed.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis is set to meet with Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday, with the return of the ancient sculptures expected to be on the agenda for the meeting.

Government sources told Sky News that Mr Mitsotakis, alongside foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, held up to three “private meetings” with trustees of the British Museum and its chair George Osborne about the sculptures this year.

Sir Keir is thought to be more open to the idea of returning the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures, than his predecessor.

But a government spokesperson said it has “no plans to change existing government policy on restitution”, saying it is a matter for the British Museum.

The Elgin Marbles on display at the British Museum (Matthew Fearn/PA) (PA Archive)

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak last year was involved in a spat with the Greek prime minister after he used an interview to push for the return of the Elgin Marbles.

Mr Sunak ditched a planned meeting with Mr Mitsotakis, accusing him of grandstanding about the return of the sculptures.

The marble statues came from friezes on the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple and have been displayed at the museum for more than 200 years since they were removed by Lord Elgin when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century.

They were purchased by Parliament from Lord Elgin in 1816.

Some of the temple statues are on display in the Acropolis Museum in Athens and Greece has long called for the collections to be reunited.

Greece alleges the marbles were illegally acquired during a period of foreign occupation – which the government and British Museum rejects.

Greek culture minister Lina Mendoni has said the country is prepared to organise rotating exhibitions of important antiquities to replace the Elgin Marbles should the sculptures be returned.

She told the Guardian last year: “[They] would fill the void, maintain, and constantly renew, international visitor interest in the Greek galleries of the British Museum.”

Ms Mendoni also said that “any agreement and all its particulars, would have to be in accordance with the Greek law on cultural heritage”.

A government spokesperson said: “We have no plans to change existing government policy on restitution.

“Further decisions relating to the care and management of a museum’s collections, including loaning objects, are a matter for the Trustees of the museum.”