Polish ambassador in Athens: The question of reparations from Germany is an area for cooperation between Poland and Greece. ‘Greek side is interested’

The case of reparations by Germany for damage suffered during World War II has never been closed in Greece; it is a field for cooperation between Poland and Greece, Artur Lompart, the Polish ambassador to Athens, said in an interview with PAP.

Greece and reparations from Germany

Very good meetings of Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk in Greece showed that the Greek side is interested in cooperation in this area with Poland

– added.

The Polish-Greek talks will of course continue

said Lompart.

In mid-June, the Polish Embassy in Athens, together with its Greek partners and the European Organization of Public Law, is organizing an international conference on reparations, mainly devoted to the legal dimension of claiming reparations from Germany.

READ ALSO: European consultations on war reparations. Mularczyk: The Greeks are an inspiration to us in our efforts to obtain reparations

READ ALSO: Greece demands 289 billion euros from Germany as reparations for WWII. “There is a burden from the past that will not go away through unilateral actions”

Support for Ukraine

Greece has supported Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion, in part because the direct hostilities hit those areas where the 150,000 inhabitants lived. Greek diaspora in Ukraine

– noted the Polish ambassador in Athens.

He stressed that Greece, like Poland, has always believed that each state has the right to decide its own future and that the territorial integrity of states is inviolable.

Greece has taken in more than 100,000 refugees. Ukrainian refugees who came mainly through Romania and Bulgaria.

The Greek support is slightly different than in the case of Poland. The government in Athens has not yet sent any heavy equipment to Ukraine, but is helping in every way, be it in the framework of the EU or NATO

– added. According to the Polish diplomat, Greek support for Ukraine will be maintained.

Invitation to the Three Seas Initiative

In the context of regional cooperation, the diplomat recalled that Greece was invited to the Three Seas Initiative when it was still being formed, but that the then left-wing Syriza government decided not to join because the country was in crisis at the time.

However, the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Micotakis has clearly indicated its interest in joint energy and infrastructure projects, especially rail and road connections. The ambassador hopes that Greece will be invited to the next summit of the Three Seas Initiative in Bucharest this year, and then the question of Athens’ involvement in this initiative will be clarified.

Greek ports are closest to the Suez Canal, therefore Greek connections to Central Europe significantly shorten supply chains

observed Lompart.

Greece is also becoming an energy hub in this part of Europe. New connections to Egypt or the Middle East will make it easy to supply energy, including renewable energy, to Central Europe

– added.

A good example of Greece’s growing importance as a logistics hub is the port of Alexandroupolis. Goods from this port reach Warsaw within five days and Klaipeda in Lithuania within six days

said the diplomat.

He also stressed that the development of road and rail infrastructure will benefit Polish transport companies, which are already visible in Greece, but will also increase the number of Polish tourists in Greece.

Poland in Greece

According to the ambassador, the Polish community is visible in Greece.

At the moment we have four Polish schools in Greece that provide additional education. Another in September, at the request of parents, will open in Rhodes. About 30 children will study there

– added.

According to statistics, before the financial crisis that started in 2009, about 100,000 Greeks lived in Greece. Poland.

It had to do with the economic boom of the 1990s. At that time, Greece was preparing to host the Olympic Games

Lopart says.

Many Poles took part in the construction of the Olympic facilities.

Polish workers are still highly valued in Greece today

explains the ambassador.

During the crisis, many Poles left Greece – returned to their homeland or went to other EU countries. According to the latest data, about 14-16 thousand people live in Greece. Poland.

They are entrepreneurs, workers in many sectors of the Greek economy. They integrate perfectly into Greek society, while remaining great ambassadors of Poland

Lopart said.

We don’t know many newcomers from Poland. This is a new category that uses the Greek program called digital nomads, i.e. people living in Greece and working remotely, for whom certain tax benefits are offered

– added.

Let’s not forget that nowadays, when we are together in the European Union and the flight between Warsaw and Athens takes just over two hours, moving to Greece is almost treated as a trip to another province

said the diplomat.

At the moment, the turnover of Polish-Greek trade exceeds 2 billion euros. This is a considerable amount and bodes well for the future

noted the ambassador. He also added that every year more than a million Poles come to Greece for their holidays, visiting the country even during the pandemic when many tourists from other countries stopped coming.

olk/PAP