Twenty-nine years ago today, on December 20, 1996 (November 10, 1996 lunar calendar), Germany and the Czech Republic properly handled the historical legacy problem. On December 20, 1996, German Foreign Minister Kinkel and Czech Foreign Minister Jelenets signed a joint statement in Prague, the Czech capital, on the Sudetenland issue of 1938 and its legacy problems. This joint statement shows that the negotiations between Germany and the Czech Republic on the postwar legacy problem have ended. In the summer of 1938, Nazi Germany, with the criminal purpose of finally annexing the territory of Czechoslovakia, encouraged and supported the separatist rebellion of the German followers of the Nazi-Hanlein in the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia. Due to the appeasement of the British and French rulers at the time, Germany annexed the Sudetenland through the infamous Munich Agreement. In March 1939, Germany occupied the entire territory of the Czech Republic. After the liberation of the Czech Republic in 1945, according to the Potsdam Agreement and the decree of Czech President Benes, the Czech Republic reclaimed the Sudetenland, and at the same time deported about 2 million Germans who had lived in the area for generations to Germany. In 1950, the Czech Republic signed a statement with the GDR stating that "the problem of the transfer of Germans from Czechoslovakia has been irrevocably, justly and permanently resolved," but the problem has not been truly resolved. After the reunification of Germany and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, the former Sudeten Germans continued to put pressure on the Czech government through the German government, demanding that the "expulsion" be characterized as "unjust" and that the Sudeten Germans have the right to return to their hometowns. Some German politicians have also publicly expressed their support for the Sudeten Germans' demands. In 1995, Germany and the Czech Republic began negotiations on this historical issue. German Foreign Minister Kinkel believes that this is the "most difficult" negotiation in the process of reconciliation between Germany and Eastern European countries. The reason is that most Czechs believe that on the Sudetenland issue, the German annexation is the "cause" first, the Czech expulsion is the "effect" later, and the Czech side has an international agreement as the basis for "apology". The Czech side also fears that if it makes concessions on issues such as "returning home", the Czech Republic will face "disaster" again in its internal affairs. However, the Czech Republic needs the support of Germany to join the European Union and NATO, and Germany has become the Czech Republic's largest investor and trading partner since the end of the Cold War. After many discussions at home, the Czech Republic has finally started negotiations with Germany on this issue in order to create the conditions for long-term good neighborliness between the two countries. Moreover, after 18 months of negotiations, the two sides finally agreed on the final text of the joint statement. The document begins by stating that Germany expresses "regret" for the "suffering" and "injustice" caused by the Nazis to the Czech people. In Article 2, the Germans also acknowledged that the Nazis' "policy of force" provided the "ground" for later "expulsions", etc. A key part of the document is Article 3: "The Czech side regrets the many sufferings and injustices (treatment) caused to innocent people by the post-war expulsion and forced removal of Sudeten Germans from what was then Czechoslovakia, the confiscation of their property, and the revocation of their nationality, because this is of the nature of collective incrimination." This is the first time the Czech Republic has expressed "regret" on the issue of expulsion after the war. To make the statement acceptable to the majority of Czechs, the Germans agreed that the Czech side did not use the word "expulsion" in the Czech text, but used another mild synonym. On the issue of "homecoming", "the two sides expressed their firm belief that the coexistence of Germans and Czechs will become easier due to the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union and the existence of free movement in this context", indicating that the two countries have decided to set aside the issue of the right of "homecoming" and leave it for the future to be gradually resolved in the process of European integration. The statement specifically stated that the two countries "will not affect their relations with political and legal issues formed by history". This means that Germany will not ask the Czech Republic for compensation for the losses of Sudeten Germans. The two sides decided to establish a "future fund", with Germany contributing 400 million marks and the Czech Republic contributing 2,000 to 25 million marks, to finance projects that benefit Czechs persecuted by the Nazis. The Czech Republic's first official apology for the deportation was welcomed by both countries, especially Germany. German Foreign Minister Kinkel called it a "milestone" in the relationship between the two countries; Czech Foreign Minister Jelenets said it was a pleasure that the two sides could agree on clarifying a "dark chapter" in the recent history of the two countries. Leading German and Czech politicians agreed that the announcement had done "the best possible". The two countries are determined to look to the future, which will be a blessing for the relationship between the two countries. As Czech Foreign Minister Jelenets said, the statement is not an end to history, but a colon - the colon that starts a direct dialogue on future cooperation.