Possibility of return Sculptors of the Parthenon in Athens with a “pledge” to them prehistoric wall paintings of Thera add to the recent “storm” of scenarios for a possible agreement between the Greek government and British museum “Financial Times”.

An extensive report published yesterday by the British economic newspaper, which includes statements by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, comments by British Museum President George Osborne, Mary Bird from his board of directors, etc., says that the Greek Prime Minister expressed at the end of 2022 desire to permanently return the frieze of the Parthenon in its entirety, and the British side (which, contrary to the recommendations of UNESCO, is not represented by government officials) meanwhile offered a kind of cultural exchange and a series of “loan agreements” for the Sculptures, which would gradually create an atmosphere of mutual trust.

In this context, Greece will not relinquish its claim to Glyptos, and any concerns about its refusal to return the antiquities to London when the agreed-upon point arrives can be allayed by using other archaeological treasures as collateral. This role could be played, among other things, by the prehistoric frescoes of Santorini, a possibility that was discussed, according to the Financial Times, in Athens.

Sources from Maximos Palacewith knowledge of negotiations, refer to “K” that the Greek side accepts the possibility of an exchange, but the frescoes of Santorini, like any other antiquities, were not discussed. The same sources emphasize that the Greek government wants to avoid making an agreement using the words “loan” or “donation”, while one of the British Museum’s red lines is the “final alienation” (“refusal to join”) of the sculptors. from his collections. In any case, after continuous topical recent publications, a “communication gap” appears between the two parties, which does not stop the search for a mutually beneficial legal formula for the return of antiquities.

Also, according to the Financial Times, for now, “Mitsotakis has been firm on the deal,” but both sides believe a deal is possible. On the other hand, board members of the British Museum such as Mary Beard told a British newspaper that the Parthenon sculptures were characterized by a tension between fulfilling a “national and international role” and that the museum itself should be treated as a kind of “loan library”.

Special mention is also made of the forthcoming redevelopment of the British Museum, the famous “Project Rosetta”, which will cost 1 billion British pounds and could change the definition of the institution, making it less focused on Mediterranean cultures.