ATHENS: Greece insisted on Monday that Britain return for good the Parthenon Marbles that have been in British possession for two centuries, adding negotiations about their fate were “not easy.”

The ancient sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were taken from the Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century by British diplomat Thomas Bruce, the earl of Elgin.

“The objective is their definitive return,” government spokesman Yiannis Oikonomou told a news briefing. Greece “does not recognise the British Museum’s possession and of course ownership of the sculptures. It has always been Greece’s position,” he said.

Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported last week that the marbles could soon be returned as part of a “cultural exchange” being negotiated with Athens.

The deal, effectively a loan agreement, could see the 2,500-year-old antiquities returned “sooner rather than later”, the Telegraph newspaper reported. Such an arrangement could circumvent a legal ban on the museum breaking up its vast collection.

It would likely involve some objects being sent by London on a long-term loan basis with Athens reciprocating with some ancient Greek treasures.

Any loan deal, however, is not expected to end the long-running dispute over the 17 sculptures and part of a frieze. The Telegraph said that Greece intends to keep up pressure to secure full legal ownership of the sculptures. “We have come a long way. We have made steps and efforts continue. The negotiations are not easy,” Oikonomou said.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2023