Pavlopoulos: British Museum's refusal to return Parthenon sculptures 'offensive to British culture and history'

President Prokopios Pavlopoulos delivered a clear message on the immediate return of the Parthenon sculptures to the Acropolis Museum while inaugurating the 24th Art Athina annual international contemporary art fair at Zappeion Megaron on Friday evening.

Pavlopoulos aired his call for the immediate return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens at the Acropolis Museum, which, he noted, was built for this very purpose, and stressed that the British Museum's persistence in refusing to return them is just as offensive towards the culture of Great Britain as it is to Greek culture.

He described how "this attitude has begun to cause a worldwide outcry."

"The British Museum's aforementioned obsession is tantamount to supporting some culture of grave-robbing as well as Elgin's theft, too," Pavlopoulos urged.

"And, of course," he continued, " this attitude does not honor the people of Great Britain, bearing in mind its long (and honorable) history (...) that the crown jewel of British Culture, the British Museum, should behave as a common fence and embezzler of unique World Heritage cultural goods," the Greek President insisted.