Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated German President Christian Wulff and Chancellor Angela Merkel on the 20th anniversary of the country's reunification, the Kremlin press office said on Sunday.
The Day of German Unity is celebrated in Germany as a national holiday on October 3 and commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, which divided the country into two parts.
"The process of Germany's reunification, which was completed 20 years ago and to which our country made a key contribution, has paramount historical significance not only for the German people but for the whole of Europe. I believe that a foundation of the current Russian-German strategic partnership was laid already at that time," Medvedev said in a congratulatory letter.
Medvedev noted the rich potential of bilateral cooperation, versatile business, scientific, cultural and humanitarian ties and the implementation of large-scale projects by Russia and Germany in priority areas, the press office said.
The Russian president also praised the highly efficient cooperation between Russia and Germany in the international scene, which contributed to the strengthening of global and regional stability and security, the press office said.
After World War II, the victorious countries divided Germany into four zones of occupation - Soviet, U.S., French and British, which became East and West Germany. The 160-km barrier between East and West Berlin, first erected in 1961, became the symbolic demarcation line between the socialist camp in Eastern Europe and the West.
MOSCOW, October 3 (RIA Novosti)
