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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 18 JUNE 2017 17 News PAUL COCKS HELMUT Kohl, the physically im- posing German chancellor whose reunification of a nation divided by the Cold War put Germany at the heart of a united Europe, has died at 87. Over his 16 years at the country's helm from 1982 to 1998 – first for West Germany and then for all of united Germany – Kohl combined a dogged pursuit of European unity with a keen instinct for history. Less than a year after the Novem- ber 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, he spearheaded the end of Germany's decades-long division into East and West, ushering in a new era in Euro- pean politics. It was the close friendships that Kohl built up with other world lead- ers that helped him persuade both anti-communist Western allies and the leaders of the collapsing Soviet Union that a strong, united Germa- ny could finally live at peace with its neighbours. "Helmut Kohl was the most im- portant European statesman since World War II," Bill Clinton, the former US president, said in 2011, adding that Kohl answered the big questions of his time "correctly for Germany, correctly for Europe, cor- rectly for the United States, correct- ly for the future of the world." "The 21st century in Europe really began on his watch," Clinton said, de- scribing Kohl as "a man who was big in more than physical stature." Famed for a massive girth on his 6 foot 4 (1.93-metre) frame, Kohl still moved nimbly in domestic politics and among rivals in his conservative Christian Democratic Union, hold- ing power for 16 years until his de- feat by centre-left rival Gerhard Schroeder in 1998. In 2010, Presi- dent Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami, for- mer prime minister of Malta and leader of the Nationalist Party, revealed that Kohl had blocked Malta's entry into the EU in 1995. Kohl had apparently objected to the word- ing of the final state- ment at the end of an EU summit in 1994 – which met to discuss whether to accept Malta, Austria and the Scandinavian countries – and op- posed reference to the possible entry of Malta in the following year. Germany was known to be against Malta's EU membership in 1995 but Fenech Adami made it clear the lead came from Kohl. Kohl's legacy includes the common euro currency that bound Europe more closely together than ever be- fore. He persuaded his countrymen to give up their beloved deutschmark for the euro. In his memoirs, he described former US President George H.W. Bush as "the most important ally on the road to German unity." He praised former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for her honesty, even as he recalled a con- frontation with her just a few days af- ter the fall of the Berlin Wall. "I cited a 1970s-era NATO statement and said that NATO supported reunification. ... Thatcher stamped her feet in an- ger and screamed at me, 'That's how you see it! That's how you see it!'" he wrote. The former chancellor was married for 41 years to Hannelore Renner, an interpreter of English and French who stood firmly but discreetly by his side throughout his political life. They had two sons, Peter and Walter. In July 2001, Hannelore committed suicide at age 68 in despair over an in- curable allergy to light. In 2005, Kohl introduced his new partner Maike Richter, an economist some 35 years his junior. The couple married in May 2008. With an escalating war of words between Germany and Malta over our country's tax system, how is the financial services sector holding up? PAUL COCKS spoke to Ed Nesbaum, Global CEO of Grant Thornton, and Mark Bugeja, Grant Thornton Malta managing partner Helmut Kohl, the man who unified Germany, dies aged 87 HOW WORLD LEADERS REACTED TO NEWS OF HELMUT KOHL'S DEATH Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General Kohl helped set a course for the historic process of Europe's political and economic integration. He played an instrumental role in Germany's peaceful reunification and today's Europe is a product of his vision and his tenacity, in the face of enormous obstacles. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl was the right man at the right time when the winds of change began sweeping through Eastern Europe in the 1980s. He understood that there was a historic chance to overcome Germany's decades-long division and seized it. Emmanuel Macron, French President Kohl was one of the great men of Europe and the free world and forged the unity of Europe with former French President Francois Mitterrand. A reformer, a visionary and a unifier, Helmut Kohl marked our collective history. Vladimir Putin, Russian President Kohl played a key role in putting an end to the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. I genuinely admired his wisdom, his ability to make balanced, far-reaching decisions even in the most difficult situations.He will be remembered in Russia as a staunch advocate of a friendly relationship between our countries. Donald Trump, US President Kohl is not only the father of German reunification, but also an advocate for Europe and the trans-Atlantic relationship. His legacy will live on. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund It is impossible to imagine a unified Germany without Helmut Kohl's unshakeable comm itment to building bridges between the East and West. His name will forever be associated with the deepening of the European Union and the creation of the common European currency. Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Soviet Union It was real luck that at that difficult time, leading nations were headed by statesmen with a sense of responsibility, adamant about defending the interests of their countries but also able to consider the interests of others, able to overcome the barrier of prevailing suspicion about partnership and mutual trust. The name of this outstanding German politician will stay in the memory of his compatriots and all Europeans. George H.W. Bush, former US President I am mourning the loss of a true friend of freedom in former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, one of the greatest leaders in post-war Europe. He hated war, but he detested totalitarianism even more and so devoted his life to strengthening democracy in West Germany. Working closely with my very good friend to help achieve a peaceful end to the Cold War and the unification of Germany within NATO will remain one of the great joys of my life. Throughout our endeavors, Helmut was a rock – both steady and strong. James Baker, former US Secretary of State Germany has lost one of its greatest leaders, the United States has lost one of its best friends and the world has lost a ringing voice for freedom. More than anyone at the end of the Cold War (Kohl) was the architect of the reunification of Germany. Kohl and former US President George H.W. Bush convinced the world to put East and West Germany back together as a member of NATO almost a half century after the division of Europe following World War II. Helmut Kohl: Angela Merkel (right) was at one time his protege Eddie Fenech Adami, then a close friend of Helmut Kohl, with the German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, former Chancellor of Germany Born: 3 April, 1930 in Ludwigshafen, Germany Died: 16 June, 2017 in Ludwigshafen, Germany, aged 87