Greece's government on Tuesday accused Britain of showing "a lack of respect" by abruptly cancelling a meeting between their leaders at short notice in a dispute over ancient Greek sculptures brought to Britain in the early 19th century.
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“This is not common, we are trying to find a precedent and we can’t,” said Pavlos Marinakis, a spokesman for the Greek government.
Appearing on the BBC over the weekend, Mitsotakis compared the separation of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half, a characterisation rejected by British government.
Marinakis said the planned talks between the two leaders were meant to have been on global issues, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, migration and the climate crisis.
The group, the Parthenon Project, has proposed a deal that would see the sculptures reunified in Athens - without Britain and Greece needing to agree on who owns them.
Ed Vaizey, a former Conservative culture minister who advises the group, said that Sunak’s action was a “plot twist” given Britain’s previous stance that resolving the issue was a matter for the British Museum itself.
Sunak’s office on Monday said Britain’s relationship with Greece was “hugely important” and that the two countries needed to work together on global challenges.
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“This is not common, we are trying to find a precedent and we can’t,” said Pavlos Marinakis, a spokesman for the Greek government.
Appearing on the BBC over the weekend, Mitsotakis compared the separation of the sculptures to cutting the Mona Lisa in half, a characterisation rejected by British government.
Marinakis said the planned talks between the two leaders were meant to have been on global issues, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, migration and the climate crisis.
The group, the Parthenon Project, has proposed a deal that would see the sculptures reunified in Athens - without Britain and Greece needing to agree on who owns them.
Ed Vaizey, a former Conservative culture minister who advises the group, said that Sunak’s action was a “plot twist” given Britain’s previous stance that resolving the issue was a matter for the British Museum itself.
Sunak’s office on Monday said Britain’s relationship with Greece was “hugely important” and that the two countries needed to work together on global challenges.
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