UPDATE: The working meeting of the two Prime Ministers lasted about an hour.
The meeting started in a warm atmosphere, with the two Prime Ministers having the following dialogue:
Boris Johnson: It is my pleasure to welcome my friend Kyriakos Mitsotakis back to London. We have been working for a long time to make this visit. And the relationship between Greece and the United Kingdom is very important to me, to us. This year we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the historic start of the Greek Struggle for Independence, with our support, in 1821.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: In 1821, that’s where it all started, although it seemed almost impossible.
Boris Johnson: Although it seemed almost impossible, with the support of Lord Byron and others. It’s wonderful to see you.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: It is my pleasure to be here. There are many issues we can discuss about our very strong bilateral relations. I recognize in your face a real philhellene.
Boris Johnson: A real philhellene. I would also like to say a big thank you Kyriakos for the leadership you showed at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Congratulations to you too Boris. It was a very complex project but in the end we are happy.
Boris Johnson: Much progress has been made. Thank you very much. Thanks.
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The return of the Parthenon sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, is being put on the table by British Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is currently meeting with his British counterpart Boris Johnson.
“They are here because they were stolen from us”, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview Tuesday, shortly before meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “I do not like to talk about the return of the sculptures, I like to talk about the reunification of the sculptures”, said the Greek Prime Minister.
“If there is a will, I am sure we can find a solution,” he said.
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The issue of the return of sculptures to Greece, especially after the actions of Melina Mercouri in the early 1980s, is very often in the news.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis will discuss the issue with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in their meeting scheduled for this afternoon, November 16, in London.
“I am sure that if there was a willingness on the part of the British government, we could talk about an agreement with the British Museum for the lending of cultural treasures that have never left the country,” said the Greek Prime Minister.
