{"id":121643,"date":"2023-11-29T23:48:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T23:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/?p=121643"},"modified":"2023-11-29T23:48:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T23:48:59","slug":"rishi-sunak-greek-pm-is-grandstanding-in-elgin-marbles-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourclomid.com\/politics\/rishi-sunak-greek-pm-is-grandstanding-in-elgin-marbles-row\/","title":{"rendered":"Rishi Sunak: Greek PM is \u2018grandstanding\u2019 in Elgin Marbles row"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The Prime Minister cancelled a planned meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis following his Greek counterpart\u2019s push for the Parthenon Sculptures to be returned from the British Museum to Athens.<\/p>\n

At Prime Minister\u2019s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer \u2013 who met Mr Mitsotakis during his visit to London \u2013 accused Mr Sunak of trying to \u201chumiliate\u201d the Greek premier and of being guilty of \u201csmall politics\u201d.<\/p>\n

But the PM said: \u201cOf course, we\u2019re always happy to discuss important topics of substance with our allies like tackling illegal migration or indeed strengthening our security.<\/p>\n

But when it was clear that the purpose of the meeting was not to discuss substantive issues for the future, but rather to grandstand and relitigate issues of the past, it wasn\u2019t appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said \u201cspecific commitments and specific assurances\u201d had been broken.<\/p>\n

Downing Street says it was promised Mr Mitsotakis would not publicly push for the Marbles\u2019 return during his visit, but he discussed them in a BBC interview before the planned talks.<\/p>\n

The Greek government said the decision to axe the meeting was due to opinion poll woes.<\/p>\n

No10 has denied the claim. Mr Mitsotakis described the situation as akin to cutting the Mona Lisa in half.<\/p>\n