Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis Shared the following statement: “I express my dismay at the fact that the British Prime Minister cancelled our scheduled meeting just hours before it was due to take place. Greece and Britain are united by traditional ties of friendship, and the context of our bilateral relations is comprehensive. Greece’s positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. I was hoping to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart as well, along with the major challenges of the international moment: Gaza, Ukraine, the Climate Crisis, and migration. Anyone who believes in the correctness and justice of their positions is never afraid of opposing arguments.”
According to Greek local media, British Premier Rishi Sounak was disturbed by what the Greek Prime Minister said to the BBC, which, however, was not different from what he has said so far and a permanent Greek position. Greek local media states that the issue is not with the British Government but with the British Museum, and Greece will continue to have discussions.
The tension does not seem to be related to the UK Secretary of Defence’s visit to Turkiye last week, but considering the timing and that Turkiye is not on the declared agenda, this is open to discussions.
Greek-British Meeting Cancelled
