Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures

An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
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Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures

An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)
An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. (Reuters)

Talks over a possible return of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures to Athens are not advancing quickly enough, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday as he prepared to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week.

Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 meters of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece.

"We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. "I'm a patient man, and we've waited for hundreds of years, and I will persist in these discussions.

"We feel that the sculptures belong to Greece and that they were essentially stolen," Mitsotakis added before playing down the ownership aspect of the discussions and focusing instead on the importance of reuniting the sculptures with those in Athens.

British officials say the works were acquired legally.

Sunak in March ruled out any change to a law that stops the British Museum handing the marbles back to Greece permanently, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

George Osborne, a former British finance minister who is chairman of the museum's trustees, this month expressed hope for a deal that would allow the sculptures "to be seen in Athens".

Mitsotakis is due to meet Sunak on Tuesday, a day after a meeting Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, which is riding high in opinion polls ahead of an election expected in 2024.

The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.



Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation Seek to Enhance Collaboration

The MoU seeks to enhance collaboration across various cultural and intellectual fields, opening new prospects for supporting youth cultural engagement. WAM
The MoU seeks to enhance collaboration across various cultural and intellectual fields, opening new prospects for supporting youth cultural engagement. WAM
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Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation Seek to Enhance Collaboration

The MoU seeks to enhance collaboration across various cultural and intellectual fields, opening new prospects for supporting youth cultural engagement. WAM
The MoU seeks to enhance collaboration across various cultural and intellectual fields, opening new prospects for supporting youth cultural engagement. WAM

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center (ALC) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) to enhance collaboration across various cultural and intellectual fields, opening new prospects for supporting youth cultural engagement.

Under the terms of the MoU, the Foundation will offer ALC members specialized training programs, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to enhance participants’ skills and capabilities, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Wednesday.

The partnership also sets the stage for fruitful cooperation in the field of translation. Talented Emirati graduates of MBRF’s Translation Program contribute to the ALC’s Kalima Translation Project.

Moreover, the two organizations will coordinate efforts to nominate outstanding participants from MBRF’s creative content development programs for the Center’s literary awards and research grants, in an effort to support Arabic content and creativity, WAM said.

They will also collaborate on print and digital publishing, providing integrated services such as typesetting, layout, translation, design, and printing, while committing to international quality standards at competitive prices.

The MoU was signed during the ‘Arabian Days’ Festival by Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center, and Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation.