A spokesman of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s press office said in a statement on Monday that “the permanent return of the Parthenon marbles to the new Acropolis Museum remains the steadfast demand of the Greek state and of the Culture Ministry.
Moreover, Greece is prepared to offer the British Museum classic masterpieces of the country for periodical exhibitions,” adding that Culture and Tourism Minister Pavlos Geroulanos never referred to the issue of the marbles’ ownership in his meeting with a reporter of the British newspaper “The Times.”
The spokesman was referring to a report appearing in the newspaper that “Greece is trying to break decades of stalemate with Britain over the Elgin Marbles by dropping its long-standing claim to ownership of the sculptures in return for the British Museum sending the Acropolis artefacts back to Athens on a long-term loan.”
The report added that “in return, Greece will offer the British Museum a selection of its best classical art, changing the exhibition every few years to give London one of the richest permanent displays in Western Europe of sculpture, carvings and art from ancient Greece.”
Meanwhile, the British Museum, in an announcement on Monday, mentions that Greece made no official approach to it regarding this offer and added that “if such a proposal is to take place, there is no reason for us to assume that the Museum’s managers will change their opinion that has been expressed in their announcement on the issue.”
It mentions that the sculptures must continue to stay “in the British Museum’s world collection.”