WEST GERMANY: WEST GERMANY AND POLAND SIGN AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH 125,000 ETHNIC GERMANS STRANDED BY WORLD WAR TWO CAN LEAVE POLAND IN NEXT FOUR YEARS.

Record ID: 647468

  • Title: WEST GERMANY: WEST GERMANY AND POLAND SIGN AGREEMENT UNDER WHICH 125,000 ETHNIC GERMANS STRANDED BY WORLD WAR TWO CAN LEAVE POLAND IN NEXT FOUR YEARS.
  • Date: 25th March 1976
  • Summary: 1. GV Exterior Foreign Ministry building 0.05 2. SV Interior Polish Ambassador Pialkowsky and Foreign Minister Mr Genscher sit and sign agreement (2 shots) 0.30 3. SV Cameramen 0.34 4. SV Mr Genscher and Mr Pialkowsky shake hands and exchange agreements (2 shots) 0.46 Initials RH/1912 RH/JB/JB/1922 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th April 1976 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BONN, WEST GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAUIQ1CEVV7R7T8HL8Z6WNMDG8
  • Story Text: An agreement was signed in Bonn, West Germany on Wednesday (24 March) under which 125,000 ethnic Germans in Poland will be allowed to leave during the next four years.

    The agreement was signed by the West German Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and the Polish ambassador to West Germany, Waclaw Pialkowsky.

    In return, West Germany will grant Poland a financial loan of 1,000 million marks. (200 million Sterling).

    The Germans concerned found themselves in Poland when the borders were redrawn after the second world war.

    The two countries first discussed the subject in 1970 when another bi-lateral treaty was signed. The present agreement was negotiated in Helsinki by the West German Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, and Poland's Communist Party Leader, Edward Gierek. The two men were meeting at the European Conference on Security and Co-operation, in 1975.

    The West German parliament ratified the treaty early in March and the Polish Council of State did so a few days later.

    Thousands of Germans have arrived in a transit camp in west Germany already. They will be housed in the camp temporarily , until they can be resettled.

    At Wednesday's meeting Herr Genscher announced that the Polish Foreign Minister, Stefan Olszowski, will pay a four-day visit to West Germany from 6 April to discuss further relations between the two countries.

    SYNOPSIS: The Foreign Ministry in Bonn, West Germany, where the West German foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, signed an agreement with the Polish Ambassador, Waclaw Pialkowsky on Wednesday. Under the agreement, 125,000 ethnic Germans will be able to leave Poland during the next four years. In return, West Germany will grant a financial loan to Poland of 200 million Sterling. The Germans found themselves in Poland when the borders were redrawn after the second world war.

    Thousands of Germans are already in a transit camp in West Germany where they will be housed until they're resettled. Further bilateral discussions will be held in April.
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