(22 Dec 2000) English/Nat
XFA
Negotiators trying to determine how much compensation Austria should give Jewish victims of wartime Nazi policies remained far apart on Thursday and scheduled two hold more meetings in the coming weeks.
One of the group's main obstacles, is forming a deal before Stuart Eizenstat, the top U-S official in the talks, leaves office on January 20 along with the rest of the Clinton administration.
At a day-long meeting with representatives of Jewish victims groups, Austria offered to pay at least 150 (m) million (US) dollars for property claims.
"I am convinced what we have in front of us is a serious offer from our side," said chief Austrian negotiator Enrnst Sucharipa, noting that the new offer brings to almost one (b) billion (US) dollars the sum Austria has agreed this year to pay for Holocaust-era wrongs including slave labor and property seizures.
Eizenstat called it "an important and multifaceted proposal to address gaps and deficiencies" in previous postwar Austrian compensation programs.
Victims groups said more negotiations are a must.
They have refused to say how much they want, but attorneys for victims and heirs of victims reportedly demanded about one (b) billion (US) dollars for property restitution earlier this year.
Negotiators for the U-S and Austrian governments, Austrian businesses and Jewish groups agreed to meet again January 10 in the Austrian capital, Vienna, and January 17 in Washington.
The new money comes on top of 150 (m) million (US) dollars Austria promised in October for interim restitution payments.
Under that promise, it is to pay 7-thousand (US) dollars to each of 21-thousand Jews who lost apartments, business leases, household goods or other property and received earlier payments they felt were inadequate.
The interim payments are designed to get some money to elderly victims soon rather than make all claimants wait for the end of negotiations.
Officials said Thursday that legislation mandating the payments will be passed by the end of next month.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Today the Austrian side responded with an important proposal. The Austrians agreed to provide a 150 million dollars in new money to the proposed general settlement fund that will be established to provide compensation for Nazi era property losses plus an indication for an additional contribution above that 150 million for property claims if necessary to achieve a prompt settlement of property issues."
SUPER CAPTION: Stuart Eizenstat, Deputy Secretary
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The decisions which have been carrying out so far have set in motion in Austria a process of close scrutiny and wide spread public debate on these issues and two major results pertinent to these talks have resulted. From one the realization by many in Austria that the past restitution efforts have not been sufficient and therefore have to be improved upon, but also a thorough evaluation of these past measures in the attempt to give them the right importance they deserve also at today's values. (inaudible) when I say that there is a distinct window of opportunity in making these decisions that we want to use."
SUPER CAPTION: Enrnst Sucharipa, Austrian Ambassador
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We have agreed on this particular measure in the area of social benefits to increase the assistance that is provided for additional health care, also for holocaust victims living abroad, and that will amount to 65 million (US dollars)."
SUPER CAPTIONS: Enrnst Sucharipa, Austrian Ambassador
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
