Invites for the opening of the New Acropolis Museum include the heads of state of many countries. More interestingly, many of these dignitaries are from countries that do not normally have good relations with Greece – yet are still apparently united in their support for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (within the New Acropolis Museum).

From:
Standart (Bulgaria)

BG President Attends New Acropolis Museum Official Opening

Bulgaria’s first couple will attend today the New Acropolis Museum official opening, Presidential press secretariat officials announced. Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov and First Lady Zorka Parvanova are at a working visit to Athens at the invitation of Greece’s President Karolos Papoulias. President Parvanov’s agenda includes a bilateral meeting with their host. The need of coordinated action and mutual cooperation based on solidarity should be the major priority of the efforts at downgrading the consequences of the global crisis, Bulgaria’s Head of State underscored in front of his colleagues at 16th Summit of Central and East European Heads of State held at Novi Sad, Serbia. To President Parvanov’s words, energy and energy security are key factors in overcoming the economic crisis.

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A court in Bulgaria has ruled to allow the confiscation of some Byzantine plates currently in Greek Museums that they believe were obtained from illegal excavations. Greece is normally on the other side of disputes such as this – it will be interesting to see if they apply the same rationale to their response as they do to their own restitution requests.

From:
Balkan Travellers

BalkanTravellers.com
12 March 2009
Bulgarian court ruling

A Bulgarian court recently ruled for the confiscation of the nine Byzantine plates purchased by three Greek museums in Greece in 2004.

The confiscation is possible on the basis of a special EU law, which Greece has not yet adopted, according to the Kathimerini newspaper.
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This case is unusual, inasmuch as the fact that Greece is on the opposite side of the argument to usual.

From:
Balkan Travellers

Silver Plates Owned by Greece and Claimed by Bulgaria Will Not Participate in Byzantium Art Show
BalkanTravellers.com
10 September 2008

The Greek-owned Byzantine set, consisting of nine silver plates dating to the twelfth century, will not participate in Europe’s biggest Byzantine-themed exhibition of the last 50 years, Greek media reported today.

The plates will not be among the 100 artefacts that Greece contributes to the show because the dispute with Bulgaria, which has laid legal claims over the set, has not been settled yet, according to the Ta Nea newspaper.
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