Germany's Merkel congratulates Helmut Kohl on 80th birthday

Berlin - Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked her predecessor Helmut Kohl for his role in German reunification on Friday, the eve of his 80th birthday.

"Your passionate personal commitment and your firm belief in a united, free future for Germany and Europe made you a pioneer of Germany's peaceful reunification and one of the most important motors in European integration," Merkel wrote in a letter to Kohl.

Kohl, who was chancellor from 1982-1998, turns 80 on April 3. He is remembered around the world for his role in events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification the year after.

Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and rose within the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) under Kohl's watch, also extended her personal gratitude to her former mentor.

"Without your determination and steadfastness, the life of millions like me who lived in East Germany until 1990 would have run completely differently," the chancellor wrote, adding that Kohl's political convictions had opened up new possibilities for her.

"For this, I thank you personally," Merkel wrote.

A rift developed between the two leaders in the late 1990s, as Merkel was amongst the first to publicly distance herself from Kohl when it emerged that he had taken millions in undeclared donations for the CDU.

At the time, Merkel's critical stance propelled her rise within the party. She visited him at his home before last year's general election, but in recent months Merkel refused to reinstate Kohl's honorary chairmanship of the CDU.

The chancellor said in her letter that the challenges met by Kohl and his generation of politicians gave faith in confronting today's problems.

"We know that in the history of our country far bigger challenges have been dealt with," Merkel wrote. "With this awareness we can lead Germany to a good future in the 21st century too."

Due to ill health, Kohl is to spend his birthday at his home in Ludwigshafen, some 600 kilometers to the southwest of Berlin. In May, Merkel will be amongst 1,000 guests at an official birthday reception in his home town.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/316856,germanys-merkel-congratulates-helmut-kohl-on-80th-birthday.html.