Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko in Strasbourg took part in the farewell ceremony for former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who died on June 16, 2017 at the age of 87.
“Today here in Strasbourg, Germany, Europe and the whole world are saying goodbye to the great German, the great chancellor who united Germany, the great leader of the united Europe and the great friend of Ukraine, who saw Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the family of European nations,” Poroshenko said in a video message posted on the page of the presidential administration of Ukraine on YouTube on Saturday.
According to him, Kohl was very good at solving the issue “which were absolutely impossible to solve.” “It was he who found the right language with the Soviet Union. It was he who took great steps to make peace, and that there should never be a war in Europe again.” With his contribution Euro was created, the European Union expanded, Euro-Atlantic integration strengthened and steps were taken that are currently shaping Europe,” the Ukrainian president said.
“Today, on behalf of the Ukrainian people I have paid my respect to the great German and the great European figure with gratitude for everything that was done,” he added.
Poroshenko noted that today it’s time to learn from Chancellor Kohl “to solve complex problematic issues.”
“I believe that through the united efforts of Europe and the world we will be able to return peace to Ukraine, peace to Europe. I believe in this,” the Ukrainian president said.
The farewell ceremony with Kohl, which was held in Strasbourg in the building of the European Parliament, was attended by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
The presidents of Austria, Albania, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and France, the prime ministers of Belgium, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and the German chancellor are among the guests of the farewell ceremony.
King Juan Carlos I of Spain and his wife, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande, ex-German President Horst Kohler, former Spanish prime ministers Felipe Gonzalez and Jose Maria Aznar, former Italian prime ministers Silvio Berlusconi and Mario Monti, former Qatari Emir Hamad Al-Thani, former European Commission President Jacques Santer and a number of other global politicians are also among the guests of the ceremony.
