German reparations payments from the atrocities committed during the WWII, will not be raised at this time.

 

February 27, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Greeks are upset at a recent image published on the front page of a German magazine that shows the ancient statue of Venus making an impolite gesture with her remaining hand.

 

This comes at the time when Greece is experiencing enormous financial pressures caused by mounting government debts. On Friday, the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said that it seems no European country is ready to help pay Greece’s debts and thus the country would just go bankrupt if the government does not act quickly.

 

One of the last venues for Greece was to sell the government’s relatively healthy bonds, but that had been postponed until next week. Greek officials said Athens has asked Washington for help on this issue and the US Secretary of State is planning to discuss it with Germany within the next few days. Right now Greece is facing a general strike by workers across the country, making the situation even more exasperating.

 

Papandreou also said the question regarding German reparations payments from the atrocities committed during the WWII, will not be raised at this time. He cited the issue must not be brought up right now when Greece is in a weak position. During the Second World War, German Army invaded Greece, looting the country’s central gold reserves, killing and wounding many civilians.

 

Germany says it has already paid the war reparations in 1960, but Athens denies that the issue has been finalized. The image published on the German magazine may further strain relationships between the two European Union members.