Mikhail Gorbachev comes to Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of German unification

Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, following an invitation from Mrs. Petra Roth, a well-known German politician and Oberbűrgermeister (Lord Mayor) of Frankfurt am Main, who on behalf of the government and citizens of the city invited him to speak at a gala event hosted on October 3 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Germany’s reunification. The gala event was held at the famous Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church), considered to be the "cradle of German democracy": in 1848, the National Assembly, the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany, met there for the first time. With 1,300 seats, the church hall was absolutely packed to capacity. In her welcoming remarks Ms. Roth commended the role Mikhail Gorbachev played in ending the Cold War and helping the peaceful reunification of Germany.

In his speech Mikhail Gorbachev noted that Germany's reunification 20 years ago had a great international significance. It has become a symbol of ending the period of hostility between the East and the West. Many things had had to be changed both in Europe and the world for this to happen. A profound change in the life of Soviet society and the peoples of the USSR had to take effect. Freedom and democracy triumphed. The country opened up to the world. Relations between the USSR and the United States were normalized and friendly relations with China were resumed. First steps were taken to eliminate nuclear weapons. Democratic changes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe were launched. Ultimately, all this led to the end of the Cold War.

"When I am asked, whom I see as the main hero of the reunification process, I always say it’s the people.” said Gorbachev. “I do not downplay the role of political leaders – that role was very great. However, the main role was played by the peoples, both peoples: the Germans, who strongly and unequivocally expressed their will for national unity, and, of course, the Russian people, who showed understanding of the aspirations of Germans. They believed that today’s Germany is fundamentally different from what it used to be in the past and supported the will of the German people. Without that the Soviet Government would not have been able to act the way it acted at the time. "

Gorbachev said that politicians let the opportunities offered by the twenty years that followed since the destruction of the Iron Curtain go waste. After the Berlin Wall was torn down, certain people started drawing new dividing lines. The past two decades have not brought us closer finding responses to the key challenges of the globalizing world.

Gorbachev called for building a transcontinental community. "One should start with creating a reliable security system, primarily in Europe, with the necessary participation of the United States and Russia," he stressed. Gorbachev reminded the audience that the initiative of President Dmitry Medvedev to conclude a Common European Security Treaty spans the entire territories of North America, Europe and Russia. And it is in those areas where, according to Mikhail Gorbachev, a transcontinental association of peoples with a common destiny is to take shape in the future.

Mikhail Gorbachev’s speech was met with a great response: the former Soviet President received a standing ovation from the audience.

The night before the gala, on October 2, Mikhail Gorbachev took part in a charity event held by German National Foundation established by former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Well-known politicians and businessmen welcomed him on behalf of the Foundation. Then, in a podium discussion with the famous Frankfurt journalist Horst Kronauer, Mikhail Gorbachev spoke how slowly and with difficulty the attitudes of Russians towards the German people were changing in the years that followed the tragedy of the Second World War, unleashed by Hitler's regime, - from hostility to mutual understanding and partnership. He also told the gathering of his experiences in the German-occupied Stavropol region, his first German friend –a university student from the GDR, and the activities carried out in the recent years by the Petersburg Dialogue Russian-German Public Forum, which mission is to bring closer civil societies of the two countries.

Gorbachev also met with the newly elected Prime Minister of the German state of Hesse, Volker Bouffier. The two leaders exchanged views on the political developments in Europe and on the prospects for Russian-German cooperation.

Accompanying Mikhail Gorbachev on this trip were the Vice President of the Gorbachev Foundation and daughter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Irina Virganskaya; her husband, businessman Andrey Trukhachev; and Pavel Palazhchenko and Karen Karagezian of the Gorbachev Foundation’s International and Media Relations.