Alexis Tsipras
Greece will continue to insist on payment by Germany of reparations for the damage caused during the occupation of 1941-1944. This was during a press conference at the 82nd International exhibition of Thessaloniki said the head of government Alexis Tsipras. His words RIA Novosti reported.
The Greek Prime Minister asked about the position of the Cabinet of Ministers on the issue. “The position of our government has not changed. The question is, at the highest political level, at the level of the President. We are doing the right thing that put the problem at the institutional level,” — said the politician.
Tsipras added that the process is moving. “I think that in the near future there will be some important events,” he said.
The question of how it relates to similar requirements of Poland, Tsipras replied: “If Poland decides to settle in the European court it will set a precedent. If you choose bilateral level, it’s different, and I think she will not go.”
The head of the Greek Minister said that his country does not depend on the actions of Warsaw on this issue. “I don’t think at this stage our country will have to identify themselves with the political maneuvering of the Polish government. The Polish government — in no case do not want to judge him — is not characterized by a commitment to the fundamental values of the EU. And this is especially important for us values, like solidarity,” he said.
In late August the Minister of defence of Poland Anthony Macierewicz stated that Germany was obliged to compensate Warsaw for the damage caused during the war, and crimes against the Polish nation. It held many other politicians. In 1953 the Polish government refused to pay, but activists claim that this decision was taken under pressure from the Communist authorities and is not legitimate. Germany, in turn, refused to pay, saying that there were no grounds to reconsider the rejection.
During the Second world war Greece was occupied by the Nazis. They controlled key regions of the country, and part of the secondary territories gave supported the fascism of Italy and Bulgaria. For the period from 1941 to 1944, tens of thousands of Greeks died from famine and repression, the economy was destroyed. In 2015, the Ministry of Finance of Greece has estimated the damage in 278,7 billion euros.