Polish, German FMs dispute war reparations issue

Poland's foreign minister said on Thursday that the issue of war reparations from Germany remains open despite his German counterpart stating that the matter was closed. The differences arose during a press conference attended by the Polish and German foreign ministers, Zbigniew Rau and Heiko Maas. Talking about German responsibility for the second world war, Rau said the huge loss of life and destruction of Polish property was beyond doubt. "The issue of the mode and manner of compensation for these crimes remains an open question," Rau said. Maas responded by saying that the construction in Berlin of a memorial site to Polish victims was important. "Germans admit to their historical responsibility for the second world war," Maas said.