A number of constituents have contacted me about the meeting that was due to take place between the UK Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of Greece on 28 November.  

I would first like to make clear that the UK-Greece relationship is hugely important, and I welcome our two nations’ work together, including through NATO, joint efforts to resolve the crisis in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, and tackling shared challenges such as illegal migration.

When requesting a meeting with the UK Prime Minister, I understand that the Greek Government provided reassurances that they would not use the visit as a platform to relitigate long-settled matters relating to the British Museum’s custodianship of the Parthenon Sculptures, which would only serve to distract from the important issues outlined above. However, those assurances were not adhered to, and the Prime Minister felt that it would be unproductive to hold a meeting dominated by that issue rather than the challenges facing the Greek and British people. The Deputy Prime Minister was available to meet the Greek Prime Minister to discuss these challenges, but Prime Minister Mitsotakis opted not to take this up.

I share the UK Government’s view that the British Museum is the right place for the Parthenon Sculptures to be housed. The museum has cared for the sculptures for generations, and they have been enjoyed by millions of people across the globe. Moreover, for a loan to take place, the recipient would need to acknowledge the British Museum’s ownership of the sculptures, given that they were legally acquired at the time. The British Museum Act also prohibits the museum from permanently removing the sculptures from their collection, and there are no plans to amend this legislation.

The UK Government will of course continue to work with the Government of Greece on the issues facing the Greek and British people, as likeminded democracies, and allies.