Downing Street accuses Greece of breaking Parthenon promise on PM’s visit

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled Tuesday's meeting with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, after his office said the two sides had previously agreed that it should not be used as a public platform "to relitigate long, long settled matters," a reference to ownership of the Parthenon Sculptures.

A Greek government official speaking on condition of anonymity said that there was no such agreement. Earlier a Greek government spokesman called the cancellation unprecedented and disrespectful.

"It's simply the case that if assurances are given and they're not adhered to, that there are consequences for that," Sunak's spokesman told reporters.

Greece has repeatedly asked the British Museum to permanently return the 2,500-year-old sculptures that British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to...