Former German Leader Urges Europeans To Overcome Fears

Germany's former chancellor Helmut Kohl, whose push for his country's reunification helped bring down the Iron Curtain and end Europe's Cold War division, urged Germans, Czechs and Poles to seize their new opportunities as the three neighbors become partners in the European Union. Speaking at an EU enlargement ceremony in the eastern German border town of Zittau, Kohl said "he most important rule of the new Europe is: There must never again be violence in Europe." The 74-year old leader encouraged Europeans to put aside their fears, many of them rooted in economic concerns and concentrate on building a future together. "We have reasons for some concern, but absolutely no reason to be afraid... The European house is big enough, with plenty of apartments to fit every country's needs."