Greece will not 'borrow' its own treasures, Mitsotakis says of Parthenon Marbles

Bulgaria's Rumen Radev said the two countries had left the shadows of the past behind them, and the 48 artefacts will go on display until 5 November before returning to the places they were taken from.

Speaking in Thessaloniki, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made special reference to the Parthenon Sculptures on the occasion of the exchange of historic relics between Greece and Bulgaria.

"Monuments and historic artefacts cannot be treated as spoils of war, nor as victims of circumstances that arose after their creation and their inherent nature as unified works," Mitsotakis said.

"It is precisely this same principle, the principle of a monument's integrity, that underpins our ongoing effort to reunite the Parthenon Sculptures. Because they are not lifeless objects from the past. They are evidence in a living and unbroken connection with the natural and cultural landscape that gave birth to them," the Greek prime minister added.

"The Parthenon is a unique and self-contained case. That is why it cannot be 'imprisoned' within the confines of legal or technical issues. It is about restoring the aesthetic and semantic integrity of a truly universal monument which, unfortunately, remains violently dismembered.

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