The crisis is getting worse! A cold shower for Mitsotakis and Sunak did not back down…

Hurriyet.com.tr/FOREIGN NEWS-IHA

While Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his statement after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak canceled the meeting in London at the last minute, “I think this will not affect Greek-British relations in the long term,” the British Prime Minister did not do so. He backed down and accused Mitsotakis of “playing in the stands”.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou received Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the presidential palace in the capital, Athens.

In the meeting in which Prime Minister Mitsotakis explained the government’s work, he touched upon British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s last-minute cancellation of his meeting with him on Tuesday.

Mikotakis: It won’t affect relationships in the long run

Mitsotakis described the cancellation of the meeting as an “unfortunate event,” and said: “I would like to say only two things about the unfortunate incident in which the meeting I had planned with my British colleague was cancelled. Firstly, I think this will not affect Greek-British relations in the long term. Second, there was a positive side to canceling the meeting. He said that “Greece’s justified demand for the reunification of the Parthenon statues has gained greater resonance not only in England but also in world public opinion.”

“The justified demand of our country will be met.”

President Sakellaropoulou said: “We all saw what happened in London. The Parthenon is important in terms of world cultural heritage because it symbolizes democracy and philosophy. The demand for the reunification of the statues, which had been undertaken since the founding of the modern Greek state, was a major achievement by gaining the understanding of the international community and British public opinion. “The justified demand of our country will be met,” he said.

Sunak did not back down: Mitotakis plays to solve problems

In his speech before representatives in the British Parliament today, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Greek Prime Minister did not back down “Playing on the bleachers”accuse.

Sunak confirmed that he stands behind his decision He added: “It was clear that the purpose of the meeting was to return old issues to the agenda rather than to discuss important issues for the future.” He said.

Sunak stated that he had given assurances that Greece would not publicly raise the issue of the return of the Parthenon statues from the British Museum to Athens. “When people make commitments, they should follow through on those commitments.” He said.

Sunak canceled the meeting

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis announced on Monday evening that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had canceled his scheduled meeting with him at the last minute. In response to the situation, Mitsotakis said: “Those who believe that their views are correct and fair are never afraid of confrontation.”

The statement that upset Sunak

Mitsotakis explained, in his interview with the British media in London on Sunday, that negotiations on returning the Parthenon statues to Athens, which are part of the Acropolis in Athens and some of whose pieces are currently displayed in the British Museum, did not progress quickly enough. Mitsotakis said that having some of the works in London and the rest in Athens would be tantamount to “splitting the Mona Lisa in two” and that the marble should be returned. British media reported that Mitsotakis’s statements upset Sunak. Mitsotakis, who met opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer on Monday, returned home on Tuesday without meeting Sunak.

A British government spokesman said that Greece had not complied with its assurances regarding the Parthenon statues. On the other hand, Greek government officials stated that Mitsotakis only confirmed Athens’ long-standing position during the interview.

Greek officials said the meeting was cancelled “Disrespect” He stated that the two leaders were prevented from discussing important global issues.

The Greek government has recovered the 2,500-year-old Parthenon, also known as the Elgin Marbles, which was removed from the Parthenon by British diplomat Lord Elgin when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. It was purchased by the British government in 1816 and placed in the British Museum. He wants to return parts of his statues to the country.