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Germany rejects Greece's claims in dispute over reparations for Nazi crimes

Xinhua, March 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The German government rejected claims of Greece in the dispute over reparations for Nazi crimes, German media Spiegel Online reported on Wednesday.

"The question of reparations and compensation is completed legally and politically," said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert on Wednesday, responding to Greek Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevopoulos's demand that German property should be confiscated in Greece.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras asked Germany again on Tuesday to make a billion payment to reparations and indemnities.

He also accused the German government of using legal tricks decades ago to avoid reparations for the German occupation in the Second World War.

Seibert said, it was clear that Germany is "absolutely and constantly aware" of its historical responsibility "for the suffering that National Socialism has brought over many countries in Europe".

"We should focus on the issues of the present and the hopefully good future for our two countries," said Seibert, adding that the issue was not addressed either in the talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tsipras, or between Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and his Greek counterpart Yanis Varoufakis. Endit