Lithuania's parliament (Seimas) on Tuesday approved the decision to pay 128 million litas (over 37 million euros) in the next 10 years to compensate Jewish people for their property alienated by totalitarian regimes.

82 MPs voted for the adoption of bill on Good Will Compensation for Real Estate of Jewish Religious Communities, 7 were against and 16 members of the Lithuanian parliament abstained.

The compensation will be paid in 2013-2023 and used for religious, cultural, health, sports, educational and scientific goals of Lithuanians Jews in Lithuania. A one-off sum of 3 million litas will have to be used to support people of Jewish nationality who lived in Lithuania and suffered from totalitarian regimes during the period of occupation.

Under the adopted bill, the compensation will be transferred to a special fund the governing body of which would represent the Jewish Community in Lithuania, the Religious Jewish Community of Lithuania and other Jewish religious, health, cultural and education organizations.

The bill, drawn up by the Ministry of Justice, was substantially amended during its consideration by parliamentary committees. A provision was included stating that the sum of compensation is final and no claims can be made in the future and the sum of compensation changed.

Parliamentary committees also decided that the government should audit the way the compensation is used. The initial version of the bill did not foresee financial accountability.

If an audit showed the fund misused the money, the government would have the right to suspend paying the compensation and decide on another fund.

The compensation makes around 30 percent of the value of Jewish property nationalized or alienated in any other way by Nazi and Soviet totalitarian regimes.

Authors of the bill believe the adopted law will demonstrate good will to restore historic justice, improve Lithuanian-Jewish relations as well as to show respect for human rights and commitments to global Jewish community and international organizations. Moreover, it is hoped that the transfer of property would provide Lithuania with politically stronger positions in its talks with Russia on compensation of damage caused by the totalitarian regime.