Article 30-06-2017 - 16:19 Reference No: 20170629STO78622 Parliament to host ceremony in honour of Helmut Kohl Former German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who passed away on 16 June, will be honoured for his contribution to Europe with a ceremony hosted by Parliament in Strasbourg on 1 July. The ceremony, starting at 11.00 CET on Saturday, will be attended by the presidents of EU institutions, former and current heads of state and government and other dignitaries. You can follow it live on our website as well as on the EbS+ channel. Speakers at the ceremony will include (in order of speaking): Parliament President Antonio Tajani, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González, former US President Bill Clinton, Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Following the ceremony at the Parliament, the remains of Mr Kohl will be taken to Germany for a funeral mass at the Speyer cathedral. An architect of united Europe Helmut Kohl, born in 1930, served as German chancellor from 1982 to 1998 and led the country through its reunification in 1990 following the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Together with then French president François Mitterrand, Kohl played an instrumental role in the signing of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, which created the euro and transformed the existing European communities into the European Union. Directorate General for Communication 1 I 3 European Parliament - Spokesperson: Jaume Duch Guillot EN Contact: [email protected] Article EU heads of state and government proclaimed Helmut Kohl as “Honorary citizen of Europe” in December 1998. “The creation of German unity and the consolidation of European unification, culminating in Economic and Monetary Union, are Dr Helmut Kohl's life's work. For that life's work, we... offer him our sincere gratitude and our heartfelt appreciation,” said the conclusions of the European Council in Vienna. Only Jean Monnet (in 1976) and Jacques Delors (in 2015) have been awarded the same title. “Helmut Kohl was a visionary and a statesman who championed reconciliation and unity among the peoples of Europe. He will be missed,” said Parliament President Antonio Tajani on the news of his death. Find out more Follow the ceremony live on 1 July from 9.30 CET Videos and photos related to the ceremony Briefing on Helmut Kohl Directorate General for Communication 2 I 3 European Parliament - Spokesperson: Jaume Duch Guillot EN Contact: [email protected] Article Helmut Kohl Directorate General for Communication 3 I 3 European Parliament - Spokesperson: Jaume Duch Guillot EN Contact: [email protected].