LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has reportedly cancelled a planned meeting on Tuesday with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during a visit to the UK amid a deepening row over the return of the ‘Elgin Marbles’.

The ancient Greek sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens are among the controversial historic items which were brought to the UK by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century – giving them their English name.

The Parthenon Sculptures now form part of the British Museum’s collection and have long been demanded by the Greeks to complete their series at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. The latest standoff is reminiscent of India’s demands for the Koh-i-Noor diamond and other historic artefacts taken from India during colonial times. Most recently, the Maharashtra government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Victoria and Albert Museum for a three-year loan of a set of 17th century ‘Tiger Claws’, or wagh nakh, believed to have belonged to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It is destined for Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) as part of Maharashtra’s 350th anniversary celebrations of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

The UK-Greece standoff seems to have erupted after Downing Street claimed that it had been agreed that the issue would not be raised during any bilateral between Sunak and Mitsotakis, a claim denied by the Greeks. On Sunday, the Greek PM told the BBC that having some of the Parthenon treasures in London and others in Athens was like cutting the ‘Mona Lisa’ painting in half.

That seems to have triggered the row, as Mitsotakis then told reporters on Monday evening that he was “deeply disappointed by the abrupt cancellation” of his meeting with Sunak, which had been planned for Tuesday afternoon.

“Those who firmly believe in the correctness and justice of their positions are never hesitant to engage in constructive argumentation and debate,” said the Greek Prime Minister.