Relations with Germany 'far from desirable,' says Polish foreign minister

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) — The state of Poland's relations with Germany is "far from desirable," the country's foreign minister said on Thursday, according to local media.

"The biggest problem is that the German side does not accept all the conclusions that follow from the report on war (World War II) losses and is not, in a constructive manner, responding to all the issues that we raised in the note that we sent to the German government over a year ago," Poland's Zbigniew Rau said at a ministerial conference in Berlin on EU enlargement policy.

The country's state-run PAP news agency reported that Rau also drew differences between Poland and Germany in their views on European integration.

"We are in favor of a Europe of sovereign states and the German side is striving to change the way the European Union functions," Rau said, according to the PAP.

While noting that Warsaw supports EU enlargement, he voiced concern that it could be tied to the idea of Europe's federalization, which may lead to delay in the process of EU enlargement.

Warsaw says losses suffered at the hands of Nazi Germany during World War II total €1.3 trillion ($1.43 trillion) and has demanded compensation from Berlin.

Germany, however, has ruled out discussions on the matter, which it says has been closed.