For “signs” that we are “close to announcing a compromise” on Sculptures of the Parthenon The Times writes in an editorial.

The newspaper reports that the sculptures of the Parthenon “may soon fairly return to Greece.”

As highlighted in an article entitled “The Sculptures Return Home”, the compromise that appears to have been reached is “a temporarily open loan in exchange for shorter exhibit loans” from the Acropolis Museum.

This proposal, as pointed out, goes beyond the legal field, which, although it says that the owners of the friezes are commissioners of the British Museum, nevertheless prohibits them from giving them.

The newspaper also congratulates British Museum President George Osborne on “being willing to compromise and return the sculptures to Athens” on the deal, which it says has already been finalized.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the British Museum told the British newspaper The Telegraph: “We have publicly stated that we are looking for new partnerships for the Parthenon with our friends in Greece and as we enter the new year constructive discussions continue.”

The newspaper in its report describes the context of the proposal of the head of the British Museum, George Osborne, for a “cultural exchange” agreement with Greece, which provides for the long-term lease of part of the sculptures in exchange for the presentation of Greek antiquities in the museum.

However, such an agreement, as the publication points out, will not resolve the issue of ownership, since the Greek side is firmly convinced that the Sculptures belong to Greece and therefore there can be no question of borrowing. A recent Bloomberg report, citing unnamed sources, describes a similar draft agreement to “rotate” the introduction of the Sculptors in Greece and return them to the UK. The publication notes that the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum are conducting preliminary negotiations, but the Greek side denies this.