The British government refers the matter of the Parthenon Marbles’ return to the British Museum, according to government sources, following the meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Keir Starmer at Downing Street.

Government sources state that the issue of the Marbles was raised as it remains a longstanding request that Greece continues to discuss with the British Museum.

“We welcome the fact that the British government will not pose any obstacles if an agreement with the British Museum is reached,” the same sources added.

Topics Discussed

During their meeting, the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and expressed mutual willingness to enhance cooperation.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance Greece places on Greek-British relations, noting that the meeting presented an opportunity to reinvigorate these ties.

The full range of bilateral cooperation was discussed, with particular focus on the economy, shipping, and tourism.

They also addressed the shared challenge of migration, with Greece at the forefront as both a European border and a first reception country.

The Prime Minister and the British Prime Minister also discussed coordinating efforts ahead of Greece’s term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2025-26. They further touched on EU-UK relations, with Greece supporting the warming of ties, particularly in security and defense.

Ukraine and Cyprus

Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Sir Keir Starmer also exchanged views on regional and international issues, with a focus on the latest developments in Ukraine.

The Cyprus issue was also discussed. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the informal dinner between Mr. Christodoulides and Mr. Tatar, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on October 15 in New York, and stressed his hope for the resumption of talks.

At the start of their meeting, the two leaders had the following exchange:

Keir Starmer: I’m particularly pleased to welcome you here at Downing Street to build on our strong bilateral relationship and discuss issues of mutual interest. We look forward to working with you at the UN in your new role, starting in just a few weeks. There’s a high degree of alignment, so I believe we can build a lot on what we’ve already achieved, and also for the future. Warm welcome to you.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Thank you, Prime Minister. I’m pleased to be back here. We have many issues to discuss. We live in turbulent times, and we truly wish to build on the very strong partnership our two countries have forged over many years. We view the UK as an indispensable partner in addressing major security challenges, not only in Ukraine but also in Southeast Europe and the Middle East. We’ll have plenty to talk about.

Keir Starmer: Very well. I look forward to our discussions.