As of November 1, with funds from the German federal foundation, the first part of payments was made to 468,587 people totaling €564,934,541, and the second part to 466,477 people totaling €301,548,156. Payments to victims of slave and forced labor in Ukraine have been made since August 1, 2001 by the German federal foundation 'Memory, Responsibility and Future' and the Austrian foundation 'Reconciliation, Peace and Cooperation' through the Ukrainian National Fund.
Germany provides to the Ukrainian national fund for compensation payments to citizens of Ukraine and Moldova who suffered from National Socialist persecution during World War II, as well as to citizens of Transcaucasian and Central Asian countries - former republics of the Soviet Union - who suffered from National Socialist persecution during World War II and on the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and Moldova, a total of 1.724 billion German marks (?881.5 million).
As Igor Lushnikov noted, until December 31, 2006, people who did not receive these funds due to the fund's own fault can apply for payments to the Ukrainian fund. 'Either we did not notify them in time, did not send them a letter, or simply missed them. If these people did not receive the funds through their own fault, they no longer have the right to receive money,' said the head of the fund. In his opinion, there are currently 335 such persons, including their heirs.
Lushnikov denied information about the possibility of starting another round of payments by Germany in connection with a lawsuit in the United States initiated by American lawyers. 'American lawyers started this lawsuit, accusing German industrialists of not collecting 5 billion marks that they had committed to raise. And the shortfall to 5 billion euros was covered by interest on the capital that was raised,' he said, noting that there is no official information that another additional round of payments will be launched in the fund.
The chairman of the fund's board reported that the official payment program ends on June 30, 2007. At the same time, the humanitarian project programs launched by partner foundations will continue until April 2008. 'After that, results will be summed up until June 10, 2008, and our partnership with the German federal foundation ends there. What the Ukrainian fund will do will be decided by the government,' said Igor Lushnikov.
For interested parties, we remind you once again of the fund's phone numbers: (044) 462-50-11, 462-50-10.
Based on materials from Interfax-Ukraine