Greece plans to pursue a long-dormant claim for reparations from Germany over Nazi occupation during World War Two. Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos told parliament the government was willing to 'exhaust every means available' in its claim. News of the debt-stricken country's bid for reparations will add to the already strained relationship with Berlin, which foots most of the bill for Greece's 240-billion euro rescue.
Controversial: Greece is planning to pursue a long-dormant claim for reparations from Germany over Nazi occupation during World War Two, it emerged today. This is a picture of Greek capital Athens
Germany, whose forces occupied Greece in World War Two, says it has already paid all reparations owed. Mr Avramopoulos reports the Greek Finance Ministry has compiled a dossier after studying documents spanning more than six decades while will be submitted to Greece's legal advisers and Athens will later decide how to officially press its claim, he said.
Mr Avramopoulos did not say how much would be sought. 'We will exhaust every means available to arrive to a result,' he told lawmakers. 'One can't compare the times, but also not erase the memories.' The issue has resurfaced since last year as Greece suffers under austerity measures imposed by its creditors, mainly Germany, as a condition for its international EU/IMF bailout.
Occupation: German soldiers raise the Nazi flag at the Acropolis during the Second World War
Mr Avramopoulos said it was wrong to link the issue to the debt crisis. 'This has been an open issue for 60 years, it is too large an issue to fit into the confines of the fiscal crisis,' he said.
Greece's fragile coalition government has so far earned praise from Chancellor Angela Merkel for starting to fix Greece's finances but conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was pushed to raise the reparation issue by the main opposition, anti-bailout Syriza party.
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