Britain and Greece are today embroiled in a major diplomatic crisis after Rishi Sunak canceled a meeting with his counterpart amid a flare-up over the Elgin Marbles.
No10 abruptly halted planned talks with Kyriakos Mitsotakis last night after he stepped up public demands for the return of the ancient artefacts.
And Downing Street ratcheted up tensions again today, accusing the Greek prime minister of breaking a promise by grandstanding on the issue.
“They are welcome and able to make these views known to us privately, as they have done before,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.
“We believe that the continued attempts to publicly re-open the long-settled issue of ownership of the marbles has cast a shadow over an otherwise productive relationship with Greece, and that those discussions are best conducted privately.” are being fed.
‘Those were the guarantees given to us prior to this meeting. Those commitments were not kept and you saw the subsequent action.”
In an unusually public rebuke, Mr Mitsotakis said he was “irritated” that the talks had been canceled “hours” before they were due to take place.
He had used a BBC interview on Sunday to compare the situation to the marbles of the Mona Lisa being ‘cut in half’.
Rishi Sunak (left) has rejected talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (right) over his demand for the return of the Elgin Marbles
Athens has long demanded the return of the Parthenon sculptures, which were removed from Greece in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
Athens has long demanded the return of the Parthenon sculptures, which were removed from Greece in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin, when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
Mr Mitsotakis said on Sunday he planned to raise the issue at meetings with Mr Sunak and Sir Keir during his visit to London.
He told the BBC he would be “meeting both Keir Starmer and of course the Prime Minister” to discuss the return of sculptures that he said had been “essentially stolen”.
Mr Mitsotakis said the British ownership of the Marbles was a form of cultural vandalism, akin to ‘cutting the Mona Lisa in half’.
Downing Street responded: ‘That is clearly not something we agree with.
‘These were legally acquired at the time and are legally the property of the museum’s administrators. We support that position and there is no plan to change the law governing it.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesman raised eyebrows yesterday by refusing to confirm the talks would take place.
And last night it was confirmed that they were gone. “There is no point in the Prime Minister holding the meeting when this is what it is about,” said a Tory source.
A government source said Mitsotakis was offered a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden instead, but he declined.
Mr Mitsotakis said in a statement: ‘I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister has canceled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place.’
‘Greece’s positions on the issue of the Parthenon sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss this with my British counterpart. “Anyone who believes in the correctness and justice of their positions is never afraid to confront arguments,” he said.
However, the Greek Prime Minister did discuss the matter with Sir Keir last night.
A Labor source insisted the issue was not the ‘focal point’ of the meeting, adding: ‘They discussed the importance of close cooperation on wider European security, migration and climate action and the important cultural links between both countries.’
Tory sources have criticized Sir Keir Starmer after he indicated last week that Labor would not ‘stand in the way’ of their return to Greece.
‘Our position on this is clear: the Elgin Marbles are part of the permanent collection of the British Museum and belong here. It is foolhardy for any British politician to suggest that this needs to be negotiated.”
The Greek Prime Minister discussed the matter with Sir Keir last night. A Labor source insisted the issue was not the “core point” of the meeting
The chairman of the British Museum, George Osborne, the former chancellor, has previously said he is exploring ways to display the Elgin Marbles in Greece, with speculation that this could involve a loan deal that would see some of the sculptures sent to Athens sent.
In a round of interviews this morning, Transport Minister Mark Harper said: ‘The Deputy Prime Minister offered to meet the Greek Prime Minister today, but it turned out not to be possible to do so.
‘That’s a matter of regret. That offer has been made.
‘But the government has made its position on the Elgin Marbles very clear, which is that they should remain part of the British Museum’s permanent collection.’
When asked on BBC Breakfast whether it amounted to a slight against Mr Sunak, Mr Harper said: ‘I have set out the position. I can keep repeating it.’
Labor sources said Sir Keir, whose constituency of Holborn and St Pancras is home to the British Museum, would not “stand in the way” of a loan deal.
A Labor spokesperson said: ‘Strong cultural and historical partnerships between countries are important to ensure that the British Museum and other British cultural institutions can maintain their leading status in the world.
‘The next Labor government will consider the case of the British Museum and its chairman on any proposed changes to the Heritage Act as it currently stands. We have no plans to change it at this time.”