MOSCOW, February 2, 2004. /RIA Novosti correspondent/ - On Tuesday Russia starts paying compensations to legal successors of people who during World War II were driven by fascists for forced labour in Germany, Russian Sberbank announced on Monday. The bank will make the payments together with the State Foundation of Understanding and Reconciliation.
The necessary means are allocated by the German Foundation "Memory, Responsibility and Future".
According to Sberbank, the first tranche will amount to approximately €400,000 and will be paid to about 500 Russian citizens.
The compensations will be paid in euros or, if the addressee should wish so, in roubles.
Unclaimed compensations will be returned to the account of the Russian Foundation for payments on next tranches, the bank reported.
