Greek President told German President for Germany to compensate Greece for World War II damages
During his visit to the Greek capital, Athens, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was surprised by Greece’s demand for compensation for the damage it suffered in World War II.
This came at the beginning of Steinmeier’s talks with his Greek counterpart, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who spoke about the damage her country suffered in World War II and the forced loan it paid to Nazi Germany.
Sakellaropoulou said that war damage compensation and the compulsory loan are still of great importance to the Greek people, adding that it’s an issue that is still pending.
It’s worth noting that Greece, which was occupied by Nazi German forces in World War II, has long been demanding compensation for war damages and the return of the forced loan from Germany.
Steinmeier, for his part, acknowledged Germany’s responsibility for atrocities before and during World War II, but told his Greek counterpart, “The legal question you mentioned, we take a different view… You know that Germany considers the issue of reparations to be legally closed according to international law, but we nevertheless uphold our historical and moral responsibility”.
Steinmeier noted Germany’s commitment to building a Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki, and to the German-Greek youth exchange program led by Germany.
Steinmeier described the German crimes in Greece as “a difficult issue that still plays a role in our current relations, a role that we cannot ignore, and for this reason I will devote space to it during this visit as well”.
