The Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, described the request for reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures as a matter of great interest, and not just a footnote during his visit to the United Kingdom, during an interview with the Financial Times on Tuesday, referring to the Sculptures of Athens in the early 19th century.
“There is a very strong argument for their reunification, which I consider particularly important. If I were Prime Minister Johnson and thought “out of the box” about “World Britain” and supporting this idea, a Britain that plays a vital role in the post-Brexit world, it would be a very big public demonstration. diplomacy if he approached the issue from a different point of view “, the prime minister noted characteristically.
“If you visit the new Acropolis Museum you will understand what I mean. “One must see the sculptures there, next to the original works left behind by Elgin,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis, referring to the sculpture section now housed in London and represented in the Acropolis Museum by plaster casts. The Prime Minister stressed that the Sculptures of the Parthenon are a very important monument and not just any work of art.
The Prime Minister, in fact, stressed in the same interview that he understands the position of the British Museum, that a possible return of the sculptures could lead to a situation where “everyone asks for what is on display in the Museum”, but insisted that the Parthenon sculptures are a “special case”.
As Kyriakos Mitsotakis recalled, in 1986 Melina Mercouri, the Greek Minister of Culture and an ardent fighter for the return of the sculptures, was invited by Boris Johnson to the Oxford Union to speak on the subject and at that time was an ardent supporter of the return. of sculptures.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis added, in fact, that he will continue to insist on both the government of the United Kingdom and the British Museum on this issue.
.
