Secret discussions have taken place between George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, and Greece's prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the contested sculptures.

The head of the British Museum, George Osborne, said Wednesday a reported deal with Greece to end a decades-long dispute over the highly contested and priceless Parthenon Marbles was "still some distance" away.

According to official sources cited by The Guardian, discussions between Greece's Foreign Ministry and the chairman of the British Museum, George Osborne, are nearing a potential deal to return the sculptures to Athens. "The mood music has completely changed," said one source close to the negotiations.