© Alexander Astafyev/press service of the Russian government/TASS
MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. Russia at the farewell ceremony for former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl will present Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, reported the press service of the government of the Russian Federation.
“The Chairman of the government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev will take part in the funeral ceremony of farewell with the former Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany on 1 July in Strasbourg”, – said in the Cabinet.
The funeral ceremony, which is designed to emphasize not only national but also pan-European scale policy, will be held on 1 July in Strasbourg, France, where the European Parliament. Still, the EU never in its history has not organized such a ceremony.
Kohl died June 16 at age 87 in his home in Ludwigshafen am Rhein (Rhineland-Palatinate).
Condolences to the leadership of Germany
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel. As reported the press service of the Kremlin, he stressed that Kohl played a key role in ending the cold war and the unification of Germany.
In a telegram Putin noted that “admired his wisdom, ability to make sound, forward-looking solutions even in the most difficult situations”. The Russian President added that Russia will remember the nick “as a principal supporter of development of friendly relations between our countries, made a huge contribution to the strengthening of mutually beneficial bilateral partnership and good neighborliness.”