Kyriakos Mitsotakis announces that the return of the Parthenon friezes will be included in discussions regarding closer ties between London and the EU

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in Athens, that the return of the Parthenon Friezes by the United Kingdom would be part of any future discussion on closer ties between London and the European Union. The Greek prime minister argues that the dispute is not merely a bilateral issue, but “an issue for Europe.”

Mitsotakis announced that Greece would step up its efforts with the British government and the British Museum, where the sculptures have been held for more than two centuries. Greece is claiming the friezes, which it says were taken in 1802 by Thomas Bruce, Lord Elgin, then the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. London maintains that they were legally acquired.

Years of negotiations with the British Museum have yielded no progress. Athens is proposing a cultural partnership and temporary access to other Greek archaeological artefacts if the museum were to send the friezes back. Mitsotakis said he would promote this solution in relations with the new British government.

The case is complicated by British legislation. A 1963 law restricts the British Museum’s ability to sell or give away objects from its collection, while permanent restitution would require Parliament’s intervention. Greece will take over the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of 2027.