The chairman of the museum says that the deal for the Elgin marbles is still some way off.

A deal to return the Parthenon statues to Greece is “some way off”, the chairman of the British Museum has said.

George Osborne, the former Tory chancellor, was this week responding to comments by a former adviser to the Greek government that “negotiations have progressed” and a deal was “close”.

Greece maintains the ancient artefacts, also known as the Elgin Marbles, were illegally removed from the Acropolis of Athens, and has long demanded their return from the museum.

Mr Osborne suggested Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had contributed to a warmer tone for talks and said the museum was looking at the possibility of a long-term loan.

The British Museum is prohibited by law from giving away any of its artefacts.

And any possible arrangement would see it return the Elgin Marbles to Greece temporarily in exchange for the display of other Greek artefacts.

Speaking on the Political Currency podcast, which he co-hosts with former Labor politician Ed Balls, Mr Osborne said: “We’ve made a lot of progress on this, but we’re still some way from any deal. are at a distance.”

Downing Street has indicated that the Prime Minister cannot stand in the way of such a deal. But the government has no plans to change the law to allow the statues to be moved permanently.

The status of the statues has been a source of diplomatic tension between Britain and Greece for decades.

Professor Irene Stamatodi, a former advisor to the Greek government, told the BBC on Tuesday A deal to return the Parthenon statues was “close”..

It came as Sir Keir Starmer and his Greek counterpart met in Downing Street for talks – although it is unclear if the talks took place on the Elgin Marbles.

The official account of the meeting released by No 10 made no mention of him, although Greece’s public broadcaster ERT claimed he was raised in the conversation.

A Downing Street spokesman declined to comment on whether he had been brought up.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made the return of the Elgin Marbles a political priority.

He previously said that placing some of the statues in Britain and the rest in Athens was “like cutting the Mona Lisa in half”.

The tension between the two countries over the antiquities peaked in November last year when then Prime Minister Rishi Singh Canceled last minute meeting with Mitsotakis..

Mr Osborne compared the former Conservative prime minister’s approach to that of Sir Keir, saying: “It’s not like Rishi Sunak, who refused to see the Greek prime minister, if you remember, he It was erected.

“So that seems to me to be a more sensible and diplomatic way to proceed.”

These sculptures were produced in the 5th century BC and were originally displayed in the Parthenon in Athens. They are considered among the most valuable artifacts of the ancient Greek period.

They were removed 200 years ago by British aristocrat Lord Elgin, while Athens was part of the Ottoman Empire.

They were badly damaged on their way to London, from where they are still displayed.

Greece has long maintained that the statues were stolen, but the British Museum has denied this, saying they were obtained legally.