Dimitris Mardas

Greek Deputy Finance Minister Dimitris Mardas said on Monday his country must be paid EUR 279 B in reparations over the occupation of its territory by Nazi Germany in World War Two.

No less than ? 278.7 billion euros is the sum cited by the Greek finance ministry in calculating war reparations dating to the German occupation of Greece during WWII (April 1941-October 1944).

Alternate FinMin Dimitris Mardas cited the figure a statement to a recently established Parliamentary committee of inquiry established to examine the country's external debt.

Germany owes Greece up to 278.7 billion euros in reparations for WWII, Alternate Minister for Finance Dimitris Mardas (photo) said on Monday.

According to calculations by the General Accounting Office, which has collected archival material examined by experts, some 10.3 billion of that sum corresponds to the forced loan taken by the Nazis, Mardas said.

By Kevin Buckland & Netty Ismail

The euro strengthened for a fourth day against the dollar after Greece pledged to make a payment to the International Monetary Fund on time this week.

 Prospects for 2015 become more bleak as the standoff between Greece and its creditors continues

By Dimitris Kontogiannis

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis will meet IMF chief Christine Lagarde in Washington on Sunday, ahead of the country's April 9 deadline for its next payment to the fund.

Varoufakis and Lagarde will have "an unofficial discussion on the Greek government's reform program," according to Greek Ministry of Finance statement on Saturday.

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