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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-10-07
CONTENTS
[01] Culture Minister on return of Parthenon Marbles
[01] Culture Minister on return of Parthenon Marbles
Culture Minister Panos Panayiotopoulos, addressing the presidents and
members of the national committees for the return of the Parthenon
Marbles of Cyprus, Germany, Sweden, Britain, Switzerland and Australia,
in the framework of the International Conference held at the Acropolis
Museum on Sunday, stressed that "our effort for the return of the
Parthenon Marbles does not begin from a need to strenghen our national
egoism. It is an effort with global extensions, since it aims at
the restoration of the unity of a paramount cultural monument that
constitutes common reference for the entire humanity. It is an ecumenical
effort with a deep humanitarian character".
The committees' representatives, after visiting the Acropolis, where they
were briefed on restoration work that is continuing at the monument, met
with Panayiotopoulos at the Acropolis Museum. The members of the Greek
Advisory Committee for the Parthenon Marbles also attended the meeting.
The Culture minister referred to the late Melina Mercouri who was the
first, as culture minister, to start the struggle for the return of the
Parthenon Marbles and spoke of the Greek Advisory Committee's contribution
and provided a briefing on UNESCO's letter to the Foreign and Culture
ministers of Britain William Hague and Maria Miller respectively, as
well as the British Museum's Director Robert Neal McGregor with which
the British officials are notified officially of the Greek side's request
for the Mediation procedure to go ahead to enable an arrangement on the
difference concerning the Parthenon Marbles to be achieved.
The minister stressed that, if the British side agrees to the carrying out
of this procedure, it will be the first time that UNESCO will activate
it for resolving a cultural difference between two countries. He also
pointed out that this development is becoming even more important in
light of UNESCO's international Intergovernmental Conference that will
be held in Paris in this coming November.
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