Brussels, 13/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - European s have paid sober tribute to former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, who died on 11 January after being in a coma for eight years following a stroke. Stating that Sharon had dedicated “his whole life to defending the interests of his country”, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton described him as “a man of strong conviction who had a clear idea of what the future of his country should be and who fought for it with determination”. European Council President Herman Van Rompuy learned “with sadness” about the passing away of Sharon, a man who “played a key role in the recent history of Israel”.
In the view of British Prime Minister David Cameron and Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Sharon was “one of the most significant figures in Israeli history”. He took “brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace”, said Cameron. France's President François Holland said that Sharon had been “a major player in the history of his country”. “From the beginning, he was a tireless defender of his beloved Israel”, said Germany's Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. For his Swedish counterpart, Carl Bildt, “Ariel Sharon was a great leader of Israel. A brilliant military commander but also a wise statesman seeing the necessity for peace.” “He was a very strong figure, who was very involved and very contrasted”, according to Belgium's Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Reynders.
After a military career, Sharon turned to politics and engaged in dialogue with the Palestinians. He was prime minister from March 2001 until April 2006. (CG/transl.fl)