Greece Asks Moscow for Documents to Back Reparations Demands From Germany

Greek Deputy Defense Minister said he had made an official request for Moscow to provide Athens with any archive documents on German occupation that might be able to aid Greece in receiving reparations from Berlin.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Greek Deputy Defense Minister Kostas Isihos told Sputnik Thursday that he had made an official request for Moscow to provide Athens with any archive documents on German occupation that might be able to aid Greece in receiving reparations from Berlin.

On Thursday, Isihos, who is also a co-chair of the Russian-Greek Joint Interministerial Commission, held talks with Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov. In an interview with Sputnik, Isihos described the meeting as "very productive."

"There also was an opportunity to make an official request on behalf of the Greek government and the Ministry of National Defense to provide archive documents – if there are such in the archives of Russian Ministry of Defense — that could aid our country's efforts to receive compensation for the civilian, moral and economic losses our country suffered during the 1941-1944 occupation by Nazis and Wermacht," Isihos said.

The Greek deputy defense minister added that Sokolov accepted his request and passed it on to head of the Russian Defense Ministry's archive department Oleg Pankov. Isihos said he expects to receive a reply within days.

Isihos said that Athens is yet to decide the exact sum Greece will demand from Germany.

He added that although financial claims have not been officially registered yet, Greece"s demands to Berlin are currently being compiled.

Last Tuesday, speaking at a parliamentary committee Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Germany must compensate Greece for damages caused by its occupation of the country during World War II.

The German government rejected the claims by Athens that Germany still owes reparations to Greece following the Second World War.