British Museum chairman George Osborne has expressed confidence that Greece and Britain can reach an agreement over the Parthenon Marbles, provided both sides are willing to compromise.

“I remain optimistic that we can reach an agreement,” Osborne said in an interview in Athens, according to Bloomberg. He stressed that any deal would require both sides to accept that their demands could not be met in full. “If everyone comes to the discussions with the understanding that they will not get everything they want, as is always the case in a successful agreement, then there is room to find a solution,” he said.

Speaking on Tuesday (13 October), Osborne reiterated his desire for an arrangement that would allow the Marbles to be displayed in both countries, while making clear that the British Museum considers sharing them essential.

“I really hope we can reach some kind of arrangement so that the Parthenon Marbles currently in London can be displayed in Athens, but they would have to be shared,” he said. “I know that is not everyone’s position in Greece, and I understand and respect that. However, that is our position, and if we want to make progress, we need to proceed in that spirit.”

The British Museum chairman’s approach contrasts with the longstanding position of the Greek government, which rejects any agreement that would involve recognising British ownership of the Marbles.

In an article published in The Guardian in September, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made clear that “Greece cannot accept any agreement that would require it to recognise the British Museum’s ownership of the Marbles or a scheme that would mean we are ‘borrowing’ parts of our own monument.”

For his part, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in 2023, before taking office, that the Marbles should be returned to Greece “without conditions”. However, speaking to the Financial Times last August, he maintained that the matter was the responsibility of the British Museum.

‘I respect how strongly Greeks feel’

Osborne was in Athens as the keynote speaker at an event marking the fifth anniversary of Ideal Holdings. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, he again addressed the prospects of finding a mutually acceptable solution.

“I respect how strongly people in Greece feel about this,” he said, emphasising that any agreement should allow the Marbles to be exhibited in both Athens and London.

He explained that such an arrangement would enable the Marbles to be presented in two distinct historical and cultural contexts: “In Athens, as part of the history of ancient Greece and the ancient city, and at the British Museum, in the context of the history of all civilisations, side by side.”