Commissioner of the German government apologized to Belarus for the atrocities of the national socialists in the country during the Second world war. This statement was made publicly for the first time.
Commissioner of the German government for intersocietal cooperation with Russia Gernot Erler apologized on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany before Belarus. Erler condemned the crimes of the Nazi regime.
As reported by Deutsche Welle, the statement he made in Minsk during the conference "Trostenets in European memory". As said the Plenipotentiary representative of Germany, before any high ranking German official had not brought a public apology to the people of Belarus. "On behalf of the German government, I apologize for those actions," he said.
Erler noted that the terrain of Belarus there was a mass destruction of the Jewish population. Only in the former Russian Republic killed 800 thousand Jews. Many of them were killed in the concentration camp Maly Trostenets near Minsk.
As said the German politician, Germany is aware of the responsibility for the crimes of national socialism. "It is a crime that is not forgiven, not forgotten and will not be forgotten," - said Erler.