A former head of the Victor & Albert Museum (V&A), who previously proposed “sharing” the Parthenon Sculptures with Greece, has been nominated as the interim director of the British Museum, according to the Guardian.

According to the newspaper, Sir Mark Jones will replace Hartwig Fischer, who resigned after it was revealed that thousands of objects had been stolen from the museum’s collection. A police investigation into the case is ongoing.

Jones’ impending appointment has led to growing speculation that there could be further developments in the long-running dispute over ancient Greek sculptures.

In a 2002 interview with the Observer, Jones, then director of the V&A, supported the idea of ​​”sharing” with Greece. He was quoted as saying: “There has to be a possibility that something could now work for all sides. I cannot tell another museum how to behave in this matter, but I believe that it is possible to develop partnerships. It can be good to display objects in different places.’

“Where there is a strong belief, there is an opportunity, if it can be recognized. It’s not necessarily a case of transferring ownership or returning the marbles for good, but when people think things are really important, as the Greeks and the British Museum do in this case, that’s really good. Apathy is our great enemy,” added Jones.

In January, the British Museum confirmed it was engaged in “constructive discussions” with Greece about the return on “loan” of some of the Parthenon marbles.

Under a proposed plan, which is still under discussion, Greece would relinquish its claim to the marbles, but the British Museum would loan some of the sculptures to Athens, with Greek treasures coming to London.

In March, however, Rishi Sunak promised to protect the Sculptures from being returned to Greece.

“The United Kingdom has looked after the Elginian marbles for generations,” he said, using an alternative name derived from the British earl who removed them from the Acropolis in the early 19th century. “The British Museum collection is protected by law and we have no plans to change it.”

In a statement on Saturday, George Osborne, chairman of the British Museum, said Jones had received “unanimous approval” from the board of trustees to take over as interim director, subject to the prime minister’s approval.

“Mark is one of the most experienced and respected museum directors in the world and will provide the leadership the museum needs at this time,” he said. “We are both clear that his priorities are to accelerate the cataloging of the collection, improve security and enhance pride in the museum’s curatorial mission.”