E. VENIZELOS: David Hill is a true pillar of the effort we are making to return the Parthenon Sculptures, the Marbles, now that we have the great endeavor of the new Museum, now that awareness has again been raised in international public opinion on this pending issue. And because he is the Chairman of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, we had a discussion today regarding the next steps, which have already been taken by the Culture Ministry, by Mr. Panagiotopoulos.
But the Foreign Ministry always plays a very important role in all international steps, in all the international fora, and in UNESCO. Our talks concerned the method that we need to use to bring the issue back to center stage and to get results, because we owe this to the memory of Melina Merkouri and, mainly, we owe it to the monument itself, which wants to be whole again.
JOURNALIST: Are you optimistic, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister?
E. VENIZELOS: This is an ongoing struggle. We have been doing this for years with Mr. Hill – for more than 20 years now – and I really want to thank him, on behalf of the Greek state, for his dedication to such an important global cause.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Hill, would you like to make a statement?
D. HILL: Well, I am very, very grateful to meet up again with my good friend Mr. Venizelos, who has been a champion of the cause for the return of the Parthenon sculptures. And on behalf of all the international association, Greece is not alone – there are now 16 countries with organizations that are supporting Greece for the return of the marmara and we will not stop; we will not stop until the marbles are back in Greece where they belong.
Thank you very much
March 13, 2014