UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mrs. Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, human rights activist and President of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, Mrs Kerry Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, a prominent lawyer specialising in health issues and a proponent of the rights of people with disabilities, with his wife Kiki Kennedy, met with the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Prokopios Pavlopoulos, on Monday, 7 October 2019.

The subject of the return of the Parthenon Marbles was the focus of the discussion.

Mr Pavlopoulos thanked Mrs Kerry Kennedy for her work in the area of protection of human rights and her contribution to the effort to have the Parthenon Marbles returned. “I would like to thank you for your work for the protection of human rights. Human rights are in need of protection, as they are under attack across the globe. But I would also like to thank you for your support for the great national effort to have the Parthenon Marbles return where they belong, and that is to Athens,” the President of the Hellenic Republic remarked.

Mrs Kerry Kennedy stressed the importance of the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens by saying: “The Parthenon Marbles need to be reunited and to be here, where not only Greeks, but the entire world can admire them in their natural environment”.

Mrs Vardinoyannis also underlined the importance of the return of the Parthenon Marbles: “The Kennedy family are true friends of Greece. They love our country and they are in favour of the return of the Parthenon Marbles. We discussed the matter in detail and I know that Kerry, through her international activity, is a supporter of our great national effort”.