Reparations

German President Joachim Gauck expressed support on Friday for Athens's demands for reparations for the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War Two, even though the government in Berlin has repeatedly rejected the claims.

Germany snubbed Greece's call for more than 278 billion euros ($306 billion) in war payments April 7, calling it "dumb" to mix World War II claims with Athens' negotiations for more aid.
      

Greece's defense minister has said the country has obtained "stunning evidence" to support its massive claims for World War II reparations from Germany.

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.

 Highlights of Angela Merkel's statements at a joint press conference afterwards the face-to-face talks:

Merkel

- There are difficult issues, in which we have completely different thoughts and views.

- The Greek government will tell us how much longer it wants to continue the cooperation with the Task Force.

Alternate Defense Minister Costas Isichos told Russian media that he plans to ask authorities there to allow the Greek state access to archives pertaining to the destruction of infrastructure by Nazi forces during World War II.

This is the first time that German media and especially one of the most prominent is in favor of German reparations repayment.

Der Spiegel, on its website main page, is clearly in favor of German war reparations, claiming that this is both morally and politically the right thing to do.

Steffen Seibert, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, stated today in a press conference that Germany will not pay Greece World War II reparations, following Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' statements yesterday on the same issue.

Germany dismissed on Wednesday Greek demands to pay World War Two reparations after leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accused Berlin of using legal tricks to avoid paying compensation for the Nazi occupation of his country.