London, Apr.16 : Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl is to marry a woman 35 years his junior. ohl, 78, will wed 43-year-old Maike Richter, an economist from Germany's finance ministry. They have been in a relationship since 2005, reports The Telegraph.

The announcement came two months after Kohl fell at his home in Ludwigshafen, Western Germany, and reportedly required emergency surgery.

The newspaper that reported Mr Kohl's plans described his mood as upbeat, despite his health scare.

Kohl's first wife Hannelore died seven years ago. They had been married for more than four decades. She committed suicide, aged 68, apparently suffering from an incurable allergy to light that meant she was forced to live in darkness for months at a time.

Some critics suggested that Kohl's long absences from contributed to her decision to take her own life.

Kohl's political career ended in 2000, when a major political financing scandal forced him to step down as chairman of the conservative CDU party.

ANI