Greece has repeatedly asked the British Museum in London to permanently return the 5th-century BC sculptures, known collectively as the "Parthenon Marbles" or "Parthenon Sculptures." A British diplomat, Earl Elgin, took them from the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Athens in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
"I express my displeasure that the British Prime Minister has cancelled our meeting just hours before it was scheduled to take place," Reuters quoted Prime Minister Mitsotakis as saying in a statement.
"The Greek views on the question of the Parthenon sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have an opportunity of discussing them with my British counterpart. Anyone who believes in the correctness and fairness of his views should never be afraid to face up to controversy," he said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in an interview with the BBC on November 26.
The Greek government is in talks with British Museum chairman George Osborne over a loan deal for the sculptures, which have been a source of dispute between the two countries for centuries.
In an interview with the BBC on 26 November, Mr Mitsotakis complained that negotiations over the possible return of the sculptures to Athens had not progressed as quickly as hoped.
He said the sculptures' continued presence in the British Museum was like cutting the "Mona Lisa" in half, and that the issue was not ownership but "reunification".
A British government official said the dispute over antiquities made it inappropriate to hold a meeting between the two prime ministers. Earlier, a spokesman for Prime Minister Sunak said there were no plans to return the ancient Greek sculptures.
Asked about Mr Mitsotakis's statement, Number 10 Downing Street said the relationship between the UK and Greece was "incredibly important" and the two countries needed to work together to tackle global challenges such as illegal migration.
Mr Sunak's office said British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was ready to meet Mr Mitsotakis to discuss the issues.
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The British government has always denied relinquishing ownership of the sculptures, which include about half of the 160-metre-long frieze that decorates the Parthenon, saying they were acquired legally.
A statute prohibits the British Museum from removing objects from its collection except in certain circumstances, but it does not prohibit lending.
The meeting between Mr Mitsotakis and opposition leader Keir Starmer took place as planned on 27 November. The Financial Times reported last week that Mr Starmer would not block a “mutually acceptable” loan deal for the sculptures.
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