Hundreds of Holocaust survivors who were deported to death camps by France's state rail company, SNCF, during the Nazi occupation will be entitled to compensation from a $60 million (49-million-euro) US-French fund, reports Deutsche Welle.
The breakthrough followed at least two years of negotiations. Thousands of people could be eligible for compensation, including nationals of Israel, Canada and the United States.
The announcement on Friday was part of a deal that would see Washington work to end lawsuits and other compensation claims in US courts against SNCF.
The French state-owned company had been bidding for lucrative high-speed rail and other contracts in US markets. However, some state legislators had sought to block SNCF because of its involvement in the Holocaust.
The French Foreign Ministry and US State Department jointly announced the accord for the compensation fund, which will be financed by Paris and managed by the US.