Greek prime minister ‘annoyed’ by Britain’s Rishi Sunak canceling meeting over Parthenon Sculptures spat
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was “annoyed” by the last-minute cancelation of a meeting with his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, because of comments he made in a television interview about the status of the Parthenon Sculptures.
Mitsotakis, who arrived in the UK over the weekend, was due to meet with Sunak on Tuesday before the meeting was abruptly shelved.
The Greek prime minister said in a statement shared by his office on Monday that he was “annoyed that the British Prime Minister canceled our scheduled meeting just hours before it was due to take place,” adding that “Greece and the UK are united by traditional ties of friendship,” and that his country’s position on the Parthenon Sculptures — currently housed by the British Museum in London — is “well-known.”
“Whoever believes in the correctness and justice of their views, is never afraid of opposing arguments,” he added.
Greece has repeatedly called for the return of the sculptures, which British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in Athens in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
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