Greece has asked France to loan the Parthenon marble frieze fragment displayed at Paris’s Louvre Museum, to coincide with its bicentennial celebrations of the War of Independence, in 2021.
According to reports, the loan proposal had been discussed between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron, during the former’s official visit to Paris on Thursday.
“There has been a proposal by the Greek side and it is been evaluated in a positive manner,” a government source told news agency AFP.
“The details will be worked out by the respective culture ministries. This is a temporary exchange,” the official added.
The loan will be France’s unique contribution to events scheduled for the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence (1821). In return, Greece will loan the Louvre a collection of ancient bronze artefacts.