CAIRO – 24 May 2022: The United Kingdom plans to undergo official talks with Greece regarding the possible return of the Parthenon Marbles, which have been in the British Museum since 1816. The disputed sculptures were stripped from the Acropolis in 1801 by Lord Elgin, and were deposited at the London Foundation. In March 2022, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated that his government had no plans to move the ancient marbles out of England. In September 2021, UNESCO's advisory board called on the UK to "reconsider its position and move forward in an honest dialogue with Greece". The British Parliament said that because the museum operates independently of the British government and can make decisions about the works in its collections, it must decide the fate of the Parthenon Marbles.
