Summary of the day
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that the cancellation of a meeting with the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was “unfortunate” but would not hurt long-term relations.
The Greek foreign minister, George Gerapetritis, also underlined the need to move on but insisted that Athens’ demand for the “reunification” of the Parthenon marbles was not only “just” but based on “universal cultural values”.
Sunak ramped up his criticism of Mitsotakis, telling the House of Commons that “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”.
The Swedish foreign minister, Tobias Billström, told reporters that his Turkish counterpart had told him ratification of the country’s Nato bid was expected within weeks.
Nato’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said allies discussed Sweden’s bid in their meeting today and “would like to see ratification finalised as soon as possible”.
Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, leader of the Netherlands’ People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), said today her party would be willing to support a coalition made up of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), New Social Contract (NSC) and Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), adding that the precise form of collaboration could be worked out.
The Finnish president’s offices said the presidents of Finland and Poland did not discuss military cooperation regarding Finland’s border with Russia during a meeting last week.
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Sunak criticises Mitsotakis as row continues
The British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has ramped up his criticism of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, telling the House of Commons that he cancelled talks with the Greek leader after he failed to keep to “a commitment” not to raise the longstanding dispute over the Parthenon marbles during his trip to London.
Responding to criticism from Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, during prime minister’s questions, Sunak said:
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.
Well-placed Greek insiders described the charge “as absurd”, saying not only would Mitsotakis refuse to be gagged on an issue so close to his heart but that Downing Street was aware, days before, of the talks agenda, which included the ctopic alongside Gaza, Ukraine, immigration and the climate emergency.
Greece, as we reported earlier, now says it want to move on. Asked to comment on Sunak’s decision to accelerate the war of words, a senior Greek government official told the Guardian:
In the spirit of the good longstanding relations between the countries, which we intend to preserve, we have nothing more to add on this matter.
Meanwhile, Lina Mendoni, the Greek culture minister, also attempted to put a positive spin on the row, telling reporters it had not only brought Athens’ restitution claim to wider public attention but highlighted the “barbarism” with which the marbles were originally hacked from the Parthenon by Elgin’s team and then treated by the British Museum.
“Greece is continuing to talk with the British Museum ... but the sculptures are the product of theft,” she told SKAI radio.
“They are in the British Museum today as the product of theft. Greece is intensifying its claim, focusing on the barbarism the sculptures suffered not only under Elgin but during their years on display [in London],” she added, referring to an array of incidents that had, she said, left the artworks damaged while under stewardship of the British Museum. Among them was the infamous attempt in the 1930’s to clean the marbles’ patina.
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Dutch VVD wants to make 'center-right' coalition possible, leader says
Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, leader of the Netherlands’ People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), said today that she informed the “scout” appointed for post-election talks that her party has a strong preference for a “centre-right coalition”.
The VVD would be willing to support a coalition made up of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), New Social Contract (NSC) and Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB), she said, adding that the precise form of collaboration could be worked out.
Yeşilgöz-Zegerius also added that VVD did not see a centre-left coalition as a logical consequence of the election results and would therefore not make this possible.
De kiezer heeft een grote voorkeur uitgesproken voor een centrumrechtse coalitie.
— Dilan Yesilgöz - Zegerius (@DilanYesilgoz) November 29, 2023
Ik heb zojuist de verkenner medegedeeld dat de VVD graag bereid is deze coalitie mogelijk te maken.
De VVD is van harte bereid, vanuit de Kamer, een coalitie van PVV, NSC en BBB te steunen,…
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Museum trustees should be able to “make the case” whether items in their collections should be retained or returned to their countries of origin, but instead were being “infantilised” and “hidebound” by legislation, Tristram Hunt, the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, has said.
He was speaking as a diplomatic row between the UK and Greece over the future of the Parthenon marbles, held at the British Museum, blew up this week after the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, abruptly cancelled a meeting with the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Hunt told the BBC: “I’m a strong believer that trustees of museum collections should have autonomy over those collections, and be able to make the case whether they should retain them within the UK or loan them to other museums around the world – or indeed begin a conversation around restitution and repatriation.”
That was already happening in many non-national museums, for example the Horniman Museum in south London, which had returned Benin bronzes looted from Nigeria, he said.
Read the full story.
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Sweden’s foreign minister said he is “grateful” for US support, as the country continues to wait to join Nato.
Discussions with good friend and colleague @SecBlinken at @NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels. I am grateful for the strong support of 🇺🇸 towards Swedish Nato-membership. pic.twitter.com/FG0JXvTh8l
— Tobias Billström (@TobiasBillstrom) November 29, 2023
Finland says military cooperation on border not discussed with Polish president
The Finnish president’s office told Reuters today the presidents of Finland and Poland did not discuss military cooperation regarding Finland’s border with Russia during a meeting last week.
A Polish official said earlier this week that the country was sending “a team of military advisers” to Finland.
Addressing media reports that Poland plans to send troops to Finland’s border with Russia, the Kremlin said earlier today that such a move could stoke tensions.
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Greek demands based on 'universal cultural values', minister says
More on that Anglo-Greek marbles row from Helena Smith in Athens
With the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, now back in Athens – and the dust settling on a row that no one had foreseen – it is clear the Greek government wants to draw a line under the incident.
In addition to the centre right leader describing the cancellation of talks in London with his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, as “unfortunate,” the Greek foreign minister George Gerapetritis has also underlined the need to move on.
Ahead of today’s meeting in Brussels of Nato foreign ministers – which focused on Ukraine – Gerapetritis held talks with the UK’s newly installed foreign secretary, David Cameron, in what is being seen as a determined effort by both sides to put the diplomatic row behind them.
The meeting is believed to have been requested by Cameron.
“It is our conviction that bilateral relations between Greece and Great Britain ought to be good and I will work with my counterpart towards that direction,” Gerapetritis said while also insisting that Athens’ demand for the “reunification” of the artworks – in a purpose-built museum beneath the Acropolis – was not only “just” but based on “universal cultural values”.
Bilateral disagreement over the marbles was “one of principle that exists regarding the question of the return of the sculptures”, he told reporters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mitsotakis reiterated that Anglo-Greek ties had “an important, historic base”, telling the country’s head of state, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, that, if anything, fallout over the incident had the positive effect of highlighting Greece’s just demand for the marbles’ repatriation to the land where they were carved 2,500 years ago.
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Nato wants Swedish ratification 'as soon as possible', Stoltenberg says
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, said allies discussed Sweden’s bid in their meeting today.
The message from the Nato allies was very clear: that we would like to see ratification finalised as soon as possible.
He also reiterated that the Turkish leadership had pledged during a summit last summer to work with Turkey’s parliament to ensure ratification.
The sooner the better, because it will be good for Sweden, it will be good for Nato, and it will be good for all Nato allies to have Sweden as a full member.
Here are images from across Europe today, as Nato ministers met in Brussels, Spain’s legislature had its opening session and Finland is preparing to completely close its border with Russia for travellers for two weeks.
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Cancellation of Sunak meeting will not hurt long-term relations, Greek leader says
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has said that the cancellation of a meeting with the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was “unfortunate” but would not hurt long-term relations.
“I believe the move [cancellation] will not hurt relations between Greece and Britain in the longer term,” Mitsotakis told the Greek president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Reuters reported.
He added:
The cancellation of this meeting also had a positive side. Greece’s just demand for the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures received even more publicity, not only in the UK but also internationally.
Downing Street had said the planned meeting was cancelled because the Greek prime minister reneged on assurances that he would not use a UK visit as a “public platform” to lobby for the return of Parthenon marbles to Athens. The Greek side has denied any such assurances were given.
Sakellaropoulou expressed support for the push to return the sculptures, the Greek daily Kathimerini reported.
The president said:
The reunification of the sculptures, a request made since the establishment of the [modern Greek] state, has garnered understanding from the international community and the British public, marking a significant gain. The just demand of our country will find a response.
Read more on the row here.
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Addressing media reports that Poland plans to send troops to Finland’s border with Russia, the Kremlin said today that such a move could stoke tensions, Reuters reported.
Moscow would see it as a threat, the Kremlin said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “This is an absolutely redundant measure to ensure border security, because there is no threat there, there is no tension in reality.”
He added:
That is why tension may arise during the concentration of additional units on our border, because the Finns must be clearly aware that this will pose a threat to us – an increase in the concentration of military units on our borders.
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Pressure is mounting for Turkey to sign off on Sweden’s Nato membership bid. Yesterday, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, discussed the matter with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
This morning, the US embassy in Stockholm wrote on social media: “We look forward to Sweden becoming a Nato ally as soon as possible.”
We look forward to Sweden becoming a NATO ally as soon as possible. https://t.co/y50W7SS9wg
— US Embassy in Sweden (@usembsweden) November 29, 2023
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Turkey told Sweden it expects Nato bid ratification 'within weeks', Swedish minister says
Tobias Billström, Sweden’s foreign minister, told reporters this morning that “it is high time to get the ratification done by both Türkiye and also by Hungary of course, and this was a clear message sent by the foreign ministers”.
For months, Turkey and Hungary have delayed ratification of Sweden’s Nato membership, fuelling frustration within the military alliance.
Speaking as Nato ministers meet in Brussels, Billström said:
We have a very dangerous moment in time for Europe and for the world – and for Nato as an organisation. With the security deteriorating and also with the war in Ukraine, Sweden’s membership in Nato is very important for the organisation.
Billström said he met his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan yesterday.
He told me that he expected the ratification to take place within weeks. And of course, we don’t take anything for granted from the side of Sweden, but we look forward to this being completed.
And no new conditions were put forward in this conversation, there were no new demands from the Turkish government, so we look [at] our part as being fulfilled.
The Swedish minister also said that Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has repeated that Hungary will not be the last to ratify.
Billström added:
That means that it is more in the hands of Ankara than maybe of Budapest. We expect white smoke from Budapest the moment there is white smoke from Ankara, to put it very bluntly.
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