Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Arkadiusz Mularczyk visit in Athens
20.02.2023
Secretary of State for European Policy and Government Plenipotentiary for compensation for damage caused by German aggression and occupation in 1939-1945, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, visited Athens on February 15, 2023. The purpose of the visit was to hold political consultations at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to inform the Greek side about actions taken by Poland in context of the efforts to obtain war reparations from Germany and to exchange opinions on possible joint actions with Greece in this field.
The main point of the visit were the political consultations with the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. The talks between the two ministers focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the need for further military, humanitarian and political support for the struggling country and the next package of sanctions against the aggressor. The Polish diplomat was greatly impressed by Greece's extremely effective efforts to become independent of Russian energy supplies and to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the country's energy balance. With reference to the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Minister Mularczyk agreed with his Greek interlocutor that any differences of opinion between the neighboring countries of the region should be resolved through constructive negotiations respecting international law and the territorial integrity of all states. Minister Mularczyk expressed his appreciation for the scale of Greece's aid to Turkey after the tragic earthquake. This proves that in difficult times the countries of the region can count on each other and show solidarity. Poland also supported Turkey by sending rescue and medical teams experienced in such situations.
Minister A. Mularczyk admitted that when he was in Athens five years ago, as a parliament member, he met with the head of the committee dealing with the issue of reparations in the Hellenic Parliament. He then received a Report on Greek War Losses, which inspired the preparation of a Polish report. In September 2022, the "The Report on the Losses Sustained by Poland as a Result of German Aggression and Occupation During World War II 1939-1945" was published.
During his visit to Athens, Minister Mularczyk also met with former Greek prime minister Georgios Papandreou, former president Prokopis Pavlopoulos and with Georgios Koumoutsakos, member of the Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament. After talks with Greek politicians on Greece's experience in seeking war reparations, Minister Mularczyk assessed that there is room for future cooperation on this issue, both in the diplomatic and educational fields.
