BERLIN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel celebrated her 65th birthday with the routine, "business as usual" act of chairing her cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The only difference was that the German chancellor was presented with a large bouquet of flowers by cabinet members and received many congratulations.
"Smart, prudent, pragmatic and with a sense of proportion, always keeping an eye on the big picture, that is Angela Merkel," said German Minister for Agriculture Julia Kloeckner in a statement.
Merkel embodied "stability in troubled times, is convincingly pursuing human rights, multilateral cooperation and reliability among partners in a time of increasing national interests," according to the German agricultural minister.
German Minister for Health Jens Spahn (CDU) congratulated Merkel on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting, saying "I wish her all, all the best, happiness, health".
Greetings came all the way from Russia, of which President Vladimir Putin called Merkel and sent a telegram in which he wished the chancellor well on her birthday.
"Your political leadership qualities, your successful work for many years as Chancellor are duly appreciated in Germany as well as in Europe and all over the world," wrote the Russian president.
Merkel was modest when asked recently what her 65th birthday meant to her, saying that one became aware "that you are getting older and older".
The 65th birthday was not quite as striking as the 60th or 70th birthday, but it did mean "that you do not get younger. But more experienced perhaps", said Merkel.
The German chancellor's state of health had recently been causing concerns because Merkel had suffered tremors on several public occasions. Nonetheless, Merkel reassured that she was "firmly convinced that I am capable of performing well".
During two recent receptions of heads of government, the German chancellor had listened to the national anthem while sitting.
"Even when sitting, the German head of government radiates even more political power than many who pose in front of her, standing and in apparent greatness," former Social Democrat (SPD) chairman Sigmar Gabriel praised Merkel in a contribution to the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
Merkel was an "outstanding personality in the Chancellery," and as leader of the German government, "she has been good to our country and done it well," added Gabriel.
Merkel has served as Chancellor of Germany for 14 years and was the head of the CDU from 2000 to 2018 until Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was elected as her successor in December.
