WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Donald Trump on Friday extended condolences to the people of Germany on the passing of ex-chancellor Helmut Kohl at the age of 87.
"The longest serving Chancellor in modern German history, Chancellor Kohl was a friend and ally to the United States as he led the Federal Republic of Germany through sixteen pivotal years," he said in a statement.
The US president stressed the late chancellor was "not only the father of German reunification, but also an advocate for Europe and the transatlantic relationship," whose vision benefited the world and whose legacy will live on.
Kohl passed away on Friday in his hometown of Ludwigshafen in western Germany. He served as the head of German state from 1982 to 1998, overseeing the reunification of West and East Germany and the creation of the European Union, including the replacement of the deutschmark with the euro.
