Without the participation of the USSR and Russia, German unity would be impossible, said in an interview with RIA Novosti the head of the government Commission to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the reunification of Germany, the former Prime Minister of the East German land of Brandenburg, the former head of the Social democratic party of Germany Matthias Platzek.
On Thursday, October 3, celebrations are held in Germany on the occasion of German Unity Day, which has been celebrated since 1990. Earlier in Germany, it was announced that from October 2019 to October 2020 the so-called anniversary year of German unity was announced, a government commission was created to organize the anniversary. The anniversary will cover several big dates, in particular, on November 9, 2019 in Berlin and throughout Germany, celebrations will be held dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, October 3, 2020 – 30 years of German unity.
“Without the then Soviet government, German unity would have been impossible, at least for such a time and in such a capacity – this is a historical, still indisputable fact. Let us not forget that the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and French President Francois Mitterrand made it clear that they actually liked two Germans more than one. This was due to historical and economic problems, as well as issues of leadership in Europe. It was Gorbachev and George H. W. Bush who made possible the path to European unity”, – Platzek said.
“We should also not forget that one of the prerequisites for the success of the unification of Germany and Europe was the decision of the Russian government to withdraw half a million soldiers and civil servants from East Germany, as well as from other countries in Eastern Europe. This major military operation in peacetime is one of the intermediate achievements, which, in my opinion, in the context of the 30th anniversary is given too little honor in politics, I am very sorry about it”, – said the head of the Commission.