A forum was held in Athens at the King George Hotel to advance the ongoing efforts for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. The sculptures were sawn off the Parthenon by Lord Elgin and taken to England in the 19th Century, when Greece was under the colonial rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Since then the Greek state has sought their return to Greece.
The event was organised by the Parthenon Project Group, which was founded by John Lefas, chaired by Lord Ed Vaizey, and advised by Geoffrey Robertson KC the world-renowned Australian human rights barrister.
Key figures from Greece’s leadership attended including the minister of foreign affairs Georgios Gerapetritis, and the minister of culture, Lina Mendoni. The forum sought to find common ground between the United Kingdom and Greece on the long-standing issue of returning the Parthenon Sculptures to their rightful home in Athens.
The panellists included Lord Ed Vaizey, the former U.K. minister of state for culture and chair of the Parthenon Project, Geoffrey Robertson KC, author of ‘Who Owns History?’ professor Nikos Alivizatos, a constitutional scholar, and Thangham Debbonaire, the former U.K. shadow secretary culture.
During the event, foreign minister Gerapetritis highlighted that the issue surrounding the sculptures has both legal and political dimensions but emphasised that their current focus is on the political route.
He described the reunification as “a unique case, ecumenical in nature and focusing on reuniting an artistic whole.” He further pointed out that recent returns of artefacts from other museums underscore the growing awareness of cultural heritage belonging to its place of origin.
“We have been in sincere and constructive talks with the British Museum, recognising each other’s red lines and examining partnerships,” Gerapetritis said, signalling optimism about the potential for future agreements.
Greek Australian, Elly Symons, the vice-president of the Australian Parthenon Committee, noted that the committee worked closely with the Parthenon Project to create an atmosphere conducive to negotiation.
“There has never been a more auspicious time for agreement between the two countries,” Symons said.
“The current alignment of leadership and a favourable political climate, combined with a world yearning for positive stories of restoration and goodwill, make this moment critical. A resolution would be a symbol of global respect for cultural heritage.”
She emphasised that any agreement would involve creative and ongoing partnerships between the museums involved, fostering cooperation rather than division.
Negotiations continue, and the dialogue between the U.K. and Greece represents a renewed hope that this historic wrong will soon be righted, transforming a source of tension into a beacon of collaboration.