Mitsotakis at Unesco: To reunite the Parthenon Sculptures in London with those in Athens |

The issue of the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece was raised by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his speech at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of UNESCO.

“There can be no dialogue between nations if there is no dialogue between cultures, which presupposes respect for the history, heritage and identity of each nation. In my opinion, this means that emblematic monuments, which are inextricably linked to the identity of a nation, should be a matter for that nation.

“Let us consider the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures, which are an extremely important part of the world cultural heritage, while at the same time they are perhaps the most important symbolic connection between modern Greeks and their ancestors”, said Mr. Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister noted that for the most part, this collection is on display at the Acropolis Museum, a few hundred meters from the Parthenon. “The fact that one can see at this point, in their birthplace, the Sculptures of the Parthenon, visually connected to the monument that gives them their universal radiance, is something that is very important”, he continued and underlined: “However, as part of the collection remains “exiled” to London, this dimension will not be fully appreciated. For this reason, I believe that it is necessary for the Sculptures of the Parthenon located in London to be reunited with most of the collection of Sculptures of the Parthenon located in Athens.

Last September, a key step was taken by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Commission for the Promotion of the Return of Cultural Property.

For the first time, it unanimously adopted a decision recognizing that ‘the case is intergovernmental in nature and, therefore, the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures is entirely up to the Government of the United Kingdom’ “.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis added that the United Kingdom should enter into a bona fide dialogue with Greece.

“And I ask them to do it. Besides, this year marks the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Struggle for the Independence of Greece. “There could not have been a better time than this for the return of the missing section and the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, in the place where they were born, Greece,” he stressed.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of UNESCO at its headquarters in Paris, the Prime Minister said it was an excellent opportunity “to reaffirm our countries’ commitment to the founding spirit of this important International Organization: to build peace among peoples through of the exchange and reciprocity of moral and spiritual virtues, as Aristotle would say “.

Mr. Mitsotakis underlined that Greece was one of the founding members of UNESCO.

“It is not just our confidence in the principles of multilateral cooperation that explains our commitment. It is also our belief that there can be neither peace nor prosperity without dialogue between the nations around these three fundamental pillars: education, science and culture, “he added.

We believe, he said, in education, which is the only way to understand the functioning of an increasingly complex world.

We also believe, he said, in the countless possibilities offered by science and technology and referred to the inauguration of the project “Ancient Olympia: Common Place” this week.

“A unique partnership with Microsoft that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and opens up new avenues for a whole new experience in how we come into contact with our cultural heritage and what it symbolizes.

“One can now experience the size and depth of Olympia, as it was in the past, at the archeological site itself or remotely, from anywhere in the world, using the most modern augmented reality tools,” he added.

He also said that we are talking about the use of innovation in order to open new avenues for the preservation of cultural heritage and the ability of citizens to get in touch with it – a mission of increasingly vital importance, in an era of great change.

“Because climate change, environmental pollution and international conflicts are affecting our present and shaping our future. However, they also have serious implications for our common past. Changes in the environment and extreme weather events are an immediate and growing threat to the great monuments of civilization. “It is this threat that has convinced us of the need to take action, and so we have decided to present an initiative that we consider important and which is called ‘Tackling the Impact of Climate Change on Cultural and Natural Heritage,'” he said, thanking UNESCO. for its invaluable support to the initiative of Greece and stressed our commitment to its third pillar, culture.