Merkel’s office expresses deep sorrow ‘great European’ Kohl dead

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson Steffen Seibert on Friday expressed “deep sorrow over a great German and a great European” on news that Helmut Kohl had died.

Merkel’s chancellery chief-of-staff Peter Altmaier said that “we owe an infinite debt to Helmut Kohl: for our freedom, for our unity, for our Europe.”