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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
(MON) 12. 13' 99
4A
23: 48/ST. 23: 48/NO. 3760637409
UHilliNAL
'0/1~
APPR;
RBETTAUER
DRAFT: EROSAND
NSC:SBERGER
TREASURY:SEEIZENSTAT
EUR/OHI:JBINDENAGEL
EUR/AGS:JWARLICK
EUR/AGS:BSCARLIS
DOJ:DOGDEN
NSC:
S/S-0:
S/S:GLBERRY
BERLIN
TAGS:
DECL:
12/13/09
KNAR, EFIN, PREL, GM
SUBJECT: CLINTON-SCHROEDER LETTER ON FORCED/SLAVE LABOR
NEGOTIATIONS
CLASSIFIED BY L/CID, RON BETTAUER, FOR REASON 1.5 (B) AND
(D).
1.
(SBU}
EMBASSY IS REQUESTED TO DELIVER THE FOLLOWING
RESPONSE TO CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER'S DECEMBER 1 LETTER TO
PRESIDENT CLINTON AT OPENING OF BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 14.
2.
jei
BEGIN TEXT:
DEAR CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF DECEMBER 1 CALLING ON THE TWO
OF US TO WORK TOGETHER AND CONCLUDE NEGOTIATIONS CREATING A
GERMAN FOUNDATION TO ASSIST FORMER NAZI-ERA SLAVE AND
FORCED LABORERS AND OTHERS WHO SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF
GERMAN BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND OTHER GERMAN
COMPANIES DURING THE NAZI-ERA.
I AGREE THAT THE HISTORIC
INITIATIVE OF GERMAN COMPANIES MUST BE BROUGHT TO A
SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR.
DECLASSIFIED
PER E.O. 12958
AS AMENDED'
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CONFIDEN'fiAL
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JBINDENAGEL SEEIZ NSTAT
BSCARLIS DOGDEN JWARLICK
L/CID:EROSAND
12/13/99 202-7768351
L/CID:RBETTAUER
E.O. 12958:
2
INITIALS
E8NFIDEN'fiAf,
IMMEDIATE
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�FrtOM DEPARTMENT OF STATE
GOHFIDEN'fiA:b
CMON) 12. 13' 99
4A
23: 48/ST. 23: 48/NO. 3760637409
2
WE HAVE SOUGHT TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE REMAINING ISSUES IN
QRDER TO ALLOW A SUCCESSFUL AND JUST RESOLUTION FOR FORMER
FORCED AND SLAVE LABORERS AND OTHERS WHO SUFFERED AT THE
HANDS OF GERMAN BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND OTHER
GERMAN COMPANIES DURING THE NAZI-ERA THROUGH THE CREATION
OF A GERMAN FOUNDATION FOR THEIR BENEFIT. YOUR LEADERSHIP
AND COURAGEOUS PERSONAL EFFORT AND THOSE OF COUNT
LAMBSDORFF HAVE BROUGHT US TO THE POINT AT WHICH SETTLEMENT
IS IMMINENT.
DEPUTY SECRETARY EIZENSTAT AND OTHER SENIOR
MEMBERS OF MY ADMINISTRATION HAVE WORKED ASSIDUOUSLY TO
MOVE THE INITIATIVE FORWARD.
DEPUTY SECRETARY EIZENSTAT WAS INTENSIVELY ENGAGED THIS
PAST WEEK WITH THE PLAINTIFFS• ATTORNEYS WITH WHOM HE HAS
DEALT TO MOVE THEM CLOSER TO THE GERMAN OFFER. ON SUNDAY,
HE REPORTED TO COUNT LAMBSDORFF THAT THEY, THE CONFERENCE
FOR JEWISH MATERIAL CLAIMS AGAINST GERMANY, THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS, AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL
WOULD AGREE TO SETTLE AT DM 10 BILLION. THIS IS A
TREMENDOUS STEP TO FINALLY SETTLE ALL CLAIMS WE HAVE BEEN
DISCUSSING.
IT WILL ESTABLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME A FLAT
SUM AND CEILING AGREED BY ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROCESS.
THIS COUNTEROFFER IS A FIRM COMMITMENT FOR SETTLEMENT OF
WHICH WE BOTH COULD BE PROUD, ALLOWING PAYMENTS THAT WOULD
REACH SURVIVING FORCED AND SLAVE LABORERS AND OTHERS WHO
SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF GERMAN BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES,
AND OTHER GERMAN COMPANIES DURING THE NAZI-ERA, AND FULFILL
THE MORAL AIMS OF THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT AND COMPANIES.
AS PART OF OUR ONGOING DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE
FOUNDATION, WE HAVE ALSO FOUND A MECHANISM TO PROVIDE THE
LEGAL PEACE DESIRED BY THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT AND GERMAN
COMPANIES IN THE AMERICAN MARKET.
FIRST, THE EXECUTIVE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN OUR GOVERNMENTS (PROVIDING THAT THE
UNITED STATES w·ILL FILE STATEMENTS OF INTEREST IN PENDING
AND FUTURE SUITS AGAINST GERMAN COMPANIES ON HOLOCAUST
CLAIMS) WILL STATE, AS THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT AND COMPANIES
HAVE REQUESTED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE FOUNDATION
SHOULD BE REGARDED AS THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ALL CLAIMS
AGAINST GERMAN COMPANIES ARISING OUT OF THE NAZI-ERA.
IT
WILL STATE FURTHER THAT BOTH OUR COUNTRIES DESIRE ALL
EMBRACING AND ENDURING LEGAL PEACE TO ADVANCE OUR FOREIGN
POLICY INTERESTS. SECOND, ALSO RESPONDING TO GERMAN
GOVERNMENT AND COMPANIES' REQUESTS, IN BOTH THE EXECUTIVE
AGREEMENT AND OUR STATEMENTS OF INTEREST.WE WOULD STATE IN
BOTH CONSENSUAL AND NON-CONSENSUAL CASES,' ALL OF WHICH
TOUCH UPON FOREIGN POLICY INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES,
-emlFIDEN'f'IAL
P
3
�DEPARTMENT OF
STATE
(MON) 12. 13' 99
4A
-GQ~lFIDBNTIAL
23: 48/ST. 23: 48/NO. 3760637409
3
THAT DISMISSAL OF SUCH SUITS WOULD BE IN THE FOREIGN POLICY
INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STA~ES, THOUGH THIS MAY NOT IN AND
QF ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN INDEPENDENT LEGAL GROUND FOR
DISMISSAL.
I KNOW THAT ACHIEVING LEGAL PEACE HAS BEEN A
PARAMOUNT CONCERN OF THE GERMAN COMPANIES . THE
UNPRECEDENTED STEPS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS WILLING
TO TAKE UNDERSCORES THE DESIRE BOTH COUNTRIES SHARE IN
OBTAINING ALL EMBRACING AND ENDURING LEGAL PEACE.
IT HAS BEEN A LONG, HARD ROAD TO COME AS FAR AS WE HAVE IN
THESE NEGOTIATIONS. BOTH OF US HAVE INVESTED SUBSTANTIAL
TIME AND ENERGY OF OUR OWN AND THAT OF OUR SENIOR
REPRESENTATIVES. BOTH GOVERNMENTS HAVE INVESTED
SUBSTANTIAL TIME AND ENERGY. WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN THIS IN
RESPONSE TO THE GERMAN COMPANIES AND BECAUSE WE BOTH
BELIEVE IN THE HISTORICAL AND MORAL SIGNIFICANCE OF
BRINGING A SENSE OF JUSTICE TO FORMER SLAVE AND FORCED
LABORERS AND OTHERS WHO SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF GERMAN
BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND OTHER GERMAN COMPANIES
DURING THE NAZI-ERA. WE CAN HELP RESTORE A MEASURE OF
HUMAN DIGNITY TO THOSE WHO SUFFERED AND SURVIVED.
AS A NEXT STEP, I WOULD BE PLEASED TO SEND DEPUTY SECRETARY
EIZENSTAT AND THE UNITED STATES TEAM TO GERMANY THIS WEEK
TO MEET WITH COUNT LAMBSDORFF AND THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS TO
FINALIZE OUR AGREEMENT ON THE SETTLEMENT AMOUNT. WE LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING ON AN EXPEDITED BASIS TO RESOLVE THE
RE~~INING ISSUES INCLUDING THE SCOPE OF THE FOUNDATION.
GERMAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS ARE BASED ON OUR COMMON
COMMITMENT TO HUMAN DIGNITY COMING FROM A SHARED HISTORY OF
DEMOCRACY FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS.
THIS UNIQUE GERMAN
INITIATIVE, REACHING OUT TO THE VICTIMS OF THIS CENTURY'S
MOST HORRIBLE TRAGEDY, WILL CONVEY DRAMATICALLY TO THE
ENTIRE WORLD YOUR NATION'S COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE AND HUMAN
RIGHTS. IT WILL ALLOW OUR COUNTRIES ENTER THE NEW
MILLENNIUM TOGETHER DETERMINED TO PROTECT THE INVIOLABILITY
OF HUMAN DIGNITY.
SINCERELY,
/IS//
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
CHANCELLOR GERHARD SCHROEDER
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
BERLIN, GERMANY
END TEXT.
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..CONP!fiEN'fiAL
P
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<strong>Declassified Documents</strong>
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This collection of declassified records focus primarily on foreign affairs. These records were declassified and made available to the public through a <a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/mandatory-declassification-review-requests">Mandatory Declassification Review</a> request.
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Declassified Documents concerning Germany
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This Mandatory Declassification Review contains correspondence between President Clinton and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder from December 1999. The cable discusses the negotiations to assist former Nazi-era slave and forced laborers.
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2006-0876-M
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Foreign Policy