The association emphasizes that “the connection of this issue with the limit of the government term of any party or with party and pre-election aspirations, whether in Greece or in Britain, only harms the cause of the claim”
“The case for the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Athens and the reunification of the top monument is a long-standing claim which must be based on the principles set by UNESCO, on scientific documentation, on the ethics of Museums, on transnational relations and on informing the international scientific community and international public opinion. Hence, as all matters related to monuments require a long time, consistency, scientific method and continuity”states in his announcement o Association of Greek Archaeologists.
The association emphasizes that “the connection of this issue with the limit of the government term of any party or with party and pre-election aspirations, whether in Greece or in Britain, only harms the cause of the claim.
On the contrary, the path that has been drawn from the 1980s to today, based on scientific findings, the consistent position of our country in UNESCO and the activation of the international committees for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, has brought the case of the claim several steps in front:
The continuous effort made by the Ministry of Culture since the beginning of the 1980s has brought results in international and British public opinion, so that the request is not made only by Greece, but is coordinated with international efforts against the looting of cultural of goods, which unfortunately continues even today, especially in war zones.
The claim is the fruit of a long effort, and it is important that steps are being taken, such as the continuous recommendations of UNESCO to the British side since 1982 and the decision of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Commission of 2021.
The decision of the University of Heidelberg in 2006 to return the fragment of stone VIII of the north frieze of the Parthenon, which was in its university collection, the decision of the Region of Sicily to definitively return the “Fagan fragment” from stone VI of the east frieze and the recent decision of the Pope to definitively return 3 fragments that were in the Vatican Museum, are the examples that show the ethical and legal way to return the sculptures to the monument, where they belong.
Based on all of the above, but also following the decisions taken by UNESCO in 2021 to invite the British side to a dialogue with Greece on the disputed issue, the Greek state is not authorized to proceed with any discussion on “loaning”, “exchange” with other important exhibits and any other direct or indirect recognition of “ownership” in the so-called “Elgin collection” by the British side.
Any loan agreement that recognizes British ownership and provides that the Parthenon sculptures will be exhibited in Athens for 5 or 10 or 15 years and then returned to the British Museum is not understood as “return”! On the contrary, any such agreement with the British Museum trivializes and undermines the demand for the definitive return, a demand now formulated by international and British public opinion.
Even worse when, on the altar of such expediencies, “exchanges” of immovable exhibits from other Museums, lending with pledges and conditions, or other innovative legal practices, such as those we saw in the case of the Agreement for the so-called Stern Collection, are proposed as proposals. agreement to legalize products of proven antiquities theft.
In this direction, the Ministry of the Interior must proceed with the abolition of the provision for long-term export of finds from archaeological museums abroad (the provision of Law 4761 that allows the export of Museum collections for 50 years) and proceed immediately with the preparation and approval of the list with the immovable finds of the Greek state archaeological Museums, as requested by the resolution of the General Assembly of the Association of Greek Archaeologists of 13/5/2022″.
Source: Skai
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.