AMSTERDAM (Jan. 7)
The Dutch Government announced today that it has recognized East Germany and that ambassadors will be exchanged shortly between the two countries. The announcement said the establishment of diplomatic relations was “independent” of current talks on compensation for Dutch-owned factories nationalized by East Germany and “unrelated” to talks on reparations for Dutch war victims.
(Netherlands Foreign Minister Norbert Schmelzer said last week that Holland would demand East German reparations for all World War II victims, including Jews, before establishing diplomatic relations with the Communist country. Schmelzer made the statement in response to a joint query from Holland’s three Jewish congregational groups.)
