The chairman of the British Museum, George Osborne, has said he believes Greece and Britain can reach an agreement over the Parthenon Sculptures, provided both sides are willing to compromise, in an interview in Athens.

“I remain optimistic that we can reach a deal,” Osborne said, according to Bloomberg, stressing that both sides must accept that their demands cannot be fully met if an agreement is to be reached. “If everyone comes to the discussions with the mindset that they’re not going to 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 that he wanted a solution that would allow the Sculptures to be displayed in both countries, while making clear that the British side considers their joint use essential.

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

The British Museum chairman’s approach contrasts with the long-standing position of the Greek government, which rejects any agreement that would entail recognition of British ownership of the Sculptures.

In an article published in September in The Guardian, 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 Sculptures, or any arrangement that would mean we are ‘borrowing’ parts of our own monument”.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in 2023, before taking office, that the Sculptures should be returned to Greece “without conditions”. However, last August, speaking to the Financial Times, he argued that the issue falls under the British Museum’s remit.

“I respect how strongly the Greeks feel about this”

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

“I respect the strength of feeling in Greece,” he said, stressing that any agreement should allow the Sculptures to be displayed in both Athens and London.

He explained that this would enable the Sculptures to be presented in two different 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”.