London, Thanasis Gavos

‘Reassured’ that Kyriakos Mitsotakis did not personally attack the British Museum on the occasion of the thefts of antiquities that were revealed, the president of the London institution is said to have declared to his colleagues George Osborne.

Report of Financial Timesciting “people briefed on his reasoning”, says Mr Osborne therefore appears optimistic that a historic cultural exchange for the Parthenon Sculptures can still be achieved, despite the crisis at the British Museum.

“One can read a lot in silence,” a British Museum official told the newspaper. “There has been considerable self-restraint at the heart of the Greek state.” A person inside the British Museum adds that the subdued criticism is a sign that Athens believes a deal on the Sculptures is close.

A Greek government official told the FT: “We are following events at the British Museum closely and like others in the cultural community are shocked by the scale of the theft. These issues have no direct impact on our campaign for our legal right to return the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece, which continues unabated.”

A spokesman for the British Museum commented that a long-term partnership for the Parthenon would strike “the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we have at the museum”.

Lord Ed Vesey, chairman of the pro-reunification Parthenon Project, tells the paper that the climate for a deal has been crabbed for 200 years.

“The British Museum has a visionary president, the Greek prime minister has a majority and a full term and the future shape of the British government will be clearer in 18 months,” commented Lord Vesey.

The Financial Times reports that both Greece and the British Museum are talking about “ongoing and constructive” discussions, although London is talking about lending some of the Sculptures to Athens.

The FT article provoked reactions from opponents of the reunification of the Glyptos. Via the Telegraph they call on George Osborne to “concentrate on sorting out the British Museum, rather than closing a deal on the Parthenon Marbles”.