Going forward, we want to ensure that both Republicans and Democrats support a resolution in both the US Congress and US Senate calling on Germany to pay reparations to Poland, Deputy Secretary of State Arkadiusz Mularczyk announced.
Effects of a visit to the US
Mularczyk, responsible, among other things, for reparations from Germany, was asked on Polish radio on Tuesday about his recent visit to the United States.
I had over 20 meetings in Washington and New York. I began my visit by visiting 13 congressmen and senators from various parties
Mularczyk reported, adding that during the meetings he presented a report on war reparations and the lack of reparations to Poland.
He added that at the State Department he met with Acting Assistant Secretary of State Dereck Hogan, as well as representatives of US think tanks.
To the top elites on Capitol Hill and the State Department, I presented the history of World War II and our war losses unknown in the US.
– said the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Noting that he also met with the UN Deputy Secretary-General responsible for human rights protection, he also presented a “report on war losses, analysis, legal advice in this area” and pointed out that Poland “never had any compensation and to this day Polish citizens are discriminated against”.
I believe my first visit is the first step that will enable us to establish cooperation with both the US Congress and the UN in this area that is important to us
Mularczyk said.
Polish expectations
When asked if a US speech on reparations should be expected, Mularczyk noted that several senators offered assistance on the matter and “there was an offer of cooperation from Ms. Marcy Kaptur, the head of the Polish-American group in Congress. ” He added that many congressmen have Poles in their constituencies, so if there is pressure from the Polish community that this issue is important, it will pay off.
My view is that in the future we want to secure a majority in both the Congress and the Senate and prepare a resolution supported by both Republicans and Democrats calling on Germany to pay reparations to Poland
Mularczyk emphasized.
‘Germany hopes to bring the subject to the Polish elections’
He was also asked if Germany’s position on the matter was changing.
The Germans hope that they bring the subject to the Polish elections and hope that after the elections there will be a change of power and the subject will disappear
he answered.
Polish Reparations Efforts
On September 1, 2022, a report was presented on the losses Poland suffered as a result of German aggression and occupation during World War II. On October 3, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a diplomatic note to the German side regarding reparations. In it, Poland is demanding, among other things, compensation for material and immaterial losses amounting to PLN 6 billion 220 billion 609 million and compensation for damage.
January 3 this year The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to the note dated October 3, 2022. According to the German government, the issue of reparations and compensation for war losses remains closed and the German government is not plan to negotiate on this.
On January 10, Mularczyk announced that the administration would seek support from the US Congress—committees, senators, and congressmen—for war loss compensation from Germany.
On January 13, the Polish Ambassador to the UN, Krzysztof Szczerski, met with the President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Korosi, and handed him a letter asking him to discuss the matter of reparations from Germany, where Poland is looking for, to investigate. A copy of the letter was also received by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
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rm/PAP
Source: wPolityce