Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of the United States Department of State and the American people, I offer my deepest condolences to the people of Germany and to the family and loved ones of former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

"Chancellor Schmidt was a pioneer of the European Union, a friend to the United States, and a wise leader of his country at a time when a divided Europe endeavored to heal the divisions it suffered throughout the Cold War.

"His life was marked more than anything by massive transitions: the end of the Second World War, the division of Europe, the rapprochement between France and Germany, and the global economic turmoil of the 1970s. Managing these changes required an incredibly skilled and steady hand, and Chancellor Schmidt was there to provide precisely that.

"Chancellor Schmidt led the Federal Republic through some of its most pivotal years. His staunch support for NATO and the OSCE helped to transform Germany into a confident political and economic power at the heart of Europe and Germany remains a valued partner today. His decisive nature and straight-talking manner endeared him to Americans and Germans alike. Even when at the highest levels of government, he never forgot the values that he grew up with in Hamburg: a commitment to freedom, opportunity, and to the kind of future where we all can live in civility and peace. Those are the values that will always unite the United States and Germany, always strengthen us, and always guide us through any storm.

"Helmut Schmidt’s contributions to Germany, Europe, and the transatlantic relationship will long be remembered."