Greece’s claims for World War II reparations from Germany remains “absolutely open” for the Greek government, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on Wednesday.
Dendias was speaking from Kalavryta where he marked the 80th anniversary of the massacre during the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War II, representing the government.
“Regarding the issue of German reparations, I want to clarify something that I have repeatedly said in my previous capacity as the country’s foreign minister. The question for the Greek government remains absolutely open,” he said.
Greece is seeking more than $300 billion for damage incurred by occupying Nazi Germans during World War II. Greece’s claims were formally renewed in 2019 under the previous left-wing government. The current conservative administration, while not publicly pressing Berlin, has said it considers the issue unresolved.
On December 13, 1943, German troops shot almost 700 male villagers aged 14 and over (13 survived) and burned the town to the ground, as a reprisal for the execution of 79 German soldiers taken prisoner by resistance fighters six days earlier.