(VOVworld) – “Our heart is wide, but our ability is limited”, German President Joachim Gauck said at a ceremony to mark the 25^th anniversary of German reunification on Saturday in the context of other EU countries facing refugee crisis.

Berliners celebrate Germany's reunification at the Brandenburg Gate on October 3, 1990  (Photo: AFP)

Speaking to 1.5 million people in Frankfurt am Main, including tens of thousand of refugees, Gauck said that the integration of refugees will pose a bigger challenge to Germany than German unity. He said it would have overcome much greater distances than between East and West Germans who had had one language and a common culture and history. Therefore Gauck called for patience and stressed that only the values shared in Germany could be a basis for integration. He said that it takes time until the old and new citizens take responsibility in a state that all regard as their state. He said Germany receiving a large number of refugees over the past days is a strong message to counter violence, hostile thought, and foreigner discrimination. Tens of thousands of visitors had celebrated in Frankfurt to kick off the three-day town festival on the German day of Unification under the theme “Crossing Borders”.