Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
Today’s joint session of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs and the Standing Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs is particularly important because it is dealing with the issue of Greece’s petition for compensation from Germany that has many dimensions, yet is ultimately linked to the struggle and resistance of the Greek people and their many sacrifices during the Second World War.
I have carefully read the minutes of the previous session which took place on the 20th of March and was attended by distinguished members of the academic and legal fields, the Deputy Director of the Bank of Greece and the President of the National Council for the Claim for German Reparations Manolis Glezos.
Greece has long been addressing the wider issue of German reparations from the Second World War, as well as that of the loan that Greece was forced to pay during the occupation, which together constitute a multifaceted issue with humanitarian, political, economic and legal dimensions.
This session today provides an opportunity for the three Ministries involved to brief the Parliament, each with regard to their area of competence. From my part, I will refer to the political and diplomatic dimensions, as well as the aspects related to International Law, while the Finance Minister will present the economic and the Justice Minister the legal aspects.
As was previously underlined in the last joint session of the Committees, the issue of German reparations is a particularly complicated one from the standpoint of International Law. Nonetheless, from a humanitarian and historical standpoint, it is an issue that is of particular importance to every Greek due to the fact that our country suffered the most losses in relative terms compared to any other country during the Second World War.
The issue of German war reparations is pending and we retain the right and means to handle the matter toward the best possible outcome for our country. In order to cast aside any doubts, I reiterate that Greece has never waived its relevant claim and will never do so.
More specifically, the Greek Government retains the right to handle the issues of compensation and the forced loan in the time and manner that it considers most appropriate, taking into account all the relevant dimensions and making all the necessary preparations.
I will not delve into the details of the recent ICJ Judgment in the case regarding the compensation of the victims of Distomo, which perhaps Mr. Papaioannou will elaborate upon. I would, however, like to bring two important points to your attention:
1. The Judgment confirmed the customary nature of the rule of jurisdictional immunity of states and its applicability to the specific case
2. However, the Court underlined that the rule of jurisdictional immunity of states does not impact the matter of a state’s international responsibility if it has committed war crimes.
The Judgment of the Court requires further careful evaluation.
During the almost 60 years since the signing of the 1953 London Agreement, which did not provide a definitive resolution to the matter, Greece has repeatedly raised the issue to the German side. The issue remains open to this day.
As was evident from the very first joint session of the Committees, the involvement of the Parliament in this matter is necessary and useful. During this first session, I believe a common conclusion was reached that in order to gain a complete picture, a more thorough examination of all the legal, economic and political evidence would be necessary, as well as a careful evaluation of all the arguments on both sides.
Therefore, a coordinated effort is required to collect all the evidence in support of Greece’s claims regarding the forced loan paid during the period of occupation, the reparations and compensations and the return of archeological treasures.
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
No one can erase the tragedies that our country suffered through during the Second World War. As I mentioned earlier, they are engraved in our collective memory.
Nonetheless, in the years that passed since the War, Greece and Germany became partners within the European project. Together, we built European peace during the difficult years that followed the War and later, during the period of instability after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Even today we must join our efforts to ensure that Europe will exit from the crisis.
Allow me, therefore, to raise another issue with regard to the relations between Greece and Germany.
Germans are as saddened by the sight of a German flag burning, as Greeks are when they see a Greek flag in flames. It is insulting to compare modern Germany with Germany under Nazi rule. Suggesting that Greece should sell its islands or the Acropolis is just as insulting. Populism breeds more populism and it poisons the relations between two countries. These are inappropriate practices that have no place in democratic societies.
Today, Greek-German relations must be governed by the principles of mutual respect, friendship and trust. In this spirit, the issue can and must be discussed again, with the relevant evidence that will further enhance our case.
March 28, 2012