Athens and London have agreed to “tone down the rhetoric”, writes the Sunday Times of London, citing a Greek official, about the Athens-London talks on the issue of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Greece claims to be on the verge of a “win-win” deal with the British Museum for the sculptures, which are expected to start returning to Athens before the end of the year, the British newspaper report said.

A senior Greek official said the “red lines” over ownership of the antiquities are immovable and suggested a new “British Museum annex” at the Acropolis Museum as one of several possible solutions.

He added that the British Museum and the Greek government had ruled out any “loan or exchange because any such agreement would have to include reference to the contentious issue of ownership, which is a red line for both sides.”

Ahead of the next round of talks led by former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, now chairman of the British Museum, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the source acknowledged that obstacles remain.

“But we are optimistic that an agreement will be reached by the end of the year, with the first part of the sculptures being transferred to Athens at the same time,” the official said.

British sources said, however, that the idea of ​​a “British Museum annex” has not been formally discussed and there is no timetable.

Last week, the Greek opposition’s culture spokeswoman ruled out any deal that did not make it clear that the Sculptures belonged to Greece.

The British government has repeatedly ruled out changing the law to allow the trustees of the British Museum to decide whether they can give objects to its collection.

The British culture minister, Michelle Donelan, believes that the sculptures belong to Britain and that sending them to Greece would be a “dangerous road”. “It would open Aeolus’ pouch for the entire contents of our museums.”

Public opinion in Britain, however, seems to align with that in Greece. A YouGov poll last year found that nearly 60% of Britons believed the sculptures belonged in Athens.