ATHENS
Greece's demands for WWII reparations from Germany were rejected Monday by German vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had said on Sunday in a speech to parliament that he would seek war reparations from Berlin for the period in which the Nazi government occupied his country.
On Monday, Gabriel said "the probability is zero," for such reparations. Gabriel told a party meeting in the state of Brandenburg near Berlin that the claims are "baseless."
Gabriel recalled that the the 1990 "Treaty on the Final Settlement with respect to Germany,” signed by East and West Germany and the Allies -- including Greece -- shortly before German reunification put a formal end to all claims against the united Germany for all matters relating to WWII.
"There is no sense insisting on this," he added.
Greece was occupied by the Nazi government in Germany for four years.
Tsipras claimed that Germany owed around €162 billion ($236 billion), due to crimes committed during the occupation, in which thousands of Greeks were killed or starved to death.
The newly-elected government of Tsipras is mired in a dispute with Germany over the repayment of Greece's public debt, of which Germany is the largest holder.
For now, the Greek government has refused to comply with the demands of its international creditors.
But without aid from the international bailout, Greece will run out of public funds on Feb. 28.
