“Negotiations on such sensitive matters require time, persistence and patience, and we have it. Greece continues to talk with the British Museum, as well as with the entire scientific community. These are all things that are discussed. But the sculptures are stolen goods. They are, today, in the British Museum as stolen goods. From then on, Greece maintains its national stance and continues to claim with persistence and patience. And the Greek position is known that, since the Parthenon sculptures return to Greece, Greece can fill the gap in the British Museum by organizing periodical exhibitions with important antiquities”. He mentioned the above today Culture Minister Lina Mendoni in an interview on Sky 100.3 radiopresenting the positions of the Greek side after the cancellation by the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, of his meeting with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Lina Mendoni said that publicity certainly helps the cause of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures and that Sunak’s “indecent behavior” contributed to that publicity. “Greece steps up its claim, focusing on the brutality the sculptures have suffered, not only from Elgin but also during their exhibition: When in the 1930s the patina was destroyed during brushing. When in the 1960s they were damaged as they were covered with diluted polyethylene glycol wax. When in the 1970s schoolchildren fell on the sculptures and part of the broken horse’s hoof dislodged. Political momentum is what can provide a way out. ‘After all, Britain has an election in a few months’ time.’ , he pointed out.

The Minister of Culture also referred to the interventions made and the studies being prepared to improve accessibility to the Acropolis.

“The aim of the Ministry of Culture is to restore the rise to the Acropolis, that is, from what is today the main entrance from the Beule gate to the Propylaea, in the form it had during the Roman period. This, in addition to it will restore the real rise to the Acropolis – because what we see today are successive interventions, from the 19th century until the 1970s -, it will also give the possibility of not having the influx of people that is observed in the Propylaia”, informed L. Mendoni , stressing that the study, which had caused “various discussions from the opposition, has advanced a lot, it is almost ready to be introduced to the competent bodies of the Ministry of Culture”. “Our goal”, he added, “is by the fall of 2024 to have completed the studies in all their details, the permits and so on, in order to start the project. It is not easy, but do not imagine that it is a project that it can take many years. The study part is the most difficult and that’s why it’s already been done for many months.”

The minister also referred to the planned necessary interventions for the maintenance and restoration of Herodion. The studies are planned to be finished by the end of 2025 and it will be necessary, for this purpose, for a while, to stop the performances. “The monument has been strained and we need to see it before there are any risks”, underlined L. Mendoni referring to the “new package of studies that we have started at the Ministry, in 2023, and will continue with the aim, until the end of 2025, of the studies these should be ready. Then the monument will have to be closed for some time so that it can be restored,” he said. Finally, answering a related question, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, he referred to the interventions made and the studies being prepared to improve accessibility to all structures, archaeological sites and museums in Greece, so that persons with disabilities disability not face limited access. As the minister said, some projects are still in progress “in order to reach what is a central political goal not only of the Ministry of Culture, but of the government as a whole”, namely universal accessibility.