World leaders pay tribute to German ex-chancellor Kohl
MORE than 800 dignitaries, including current and past world leaders, bid farewell to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl yesterday.
Kohl, who died aged 87 two weeks ago, was the first person to be honoured with an official memorial by the European Union in Strasbourg.
The event was followed by Kohl’s coffin, draped with the EU flag, being taken to the German city of Speyer for a requiem Mass and military honours. He was later buried in a private ceremony.
EU Commission President Jean-claude Juncker said Kohl, Germany’s leader from 1982 to 1998, was a German and European patriot.
His sucessor Angela Merkel added: “Without Helmut Kohl the lives of millions of people who lived behind the [Berlin] Wall until 1990 would have taken a completely different course, including mine.
“Thank you for the opportunities you gave me.”