BERLIN
Germany on Sunday night turned down a Greek proposal to form a “wise council” to discuss Greek claims for WW II reparations.
German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said Monday that Germany has rejected the proposal, speaking after a meeting between the German and Greek foreign ministers in Berlin.
“For us the chapter of reparations is politically and legally closed, that was the answer of German Foreign Minister,” Schaefer told journalists,
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met with his German counterpart Steinmeier on Sunday, a day before Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ first official visit to Berlin.
Kotzias repeated Greek claims for WW II reparations in an interview with the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Sunday, and proposed forming a "wise council" consisting of Greek and German experts to have “a rational discussion” on the controversial issue.
German Foreign Ministry spokesman Schaefer said the two foreign ministers disagreed on the Greek claims for WW II reparations, but had a very long and good meeting, and agreed to further develop mutual understanding and enhance bilateral ties between two countries.
Germany’s deputy foreign minister Michael Roth will travel to Athens in the coming days to further discuss ways to improve cooperation in various fields, Schaefer said,
The German government has repeatedly argued that the WWII reparation issue has been resolved under previous international agreements.
But Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said last week that Germany owed Greece around €162 billion ($236 billion), due to forced loans, confiscations and crimes committed during the period in which the Nazi government occupied the country.
Tsipras and his radical-left SYRIZA party are currently negotiating with European creditors for economic reforms intended to help the country pay its public debt.
The Greek government, which is entirely dependent on the European Central Bank for emergency loans, is expected to run out of funds if the next tranche of the bailout payment is not made this month.
