The leaders of France and Germany on Wednesday appeared together at a ceremony to commemorate the end of World War I for the first time since the conflict ended in 1918.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy met German Chancellor Angela Merkel under the Arc de Triomphe to together commemorate the 91st anniversary of the end of the 1914-1918 war that tore Europe apart.

Sarkozy and Merkel placed a wreath of purple flowers and relit the perpetual flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe during the Armistice Day ceremony. The leaders of the two former enemies also gave speeches at the site.

"We share common values, common ambition for Europe, and the same money," Sarkozy said. "It's natural to organize closer and closer political association" between France and Germany.

Merkel said "one must learn to rise above one's history."

"We should face our history together," she said. "I know what happened in the past cannot be erased, however, there is a power which can help us bear the past, that is reconciliation."

Tens of millions of civilians and soldiers were killed during what was called the Great War between Germany and allied nations France, Britain and its former colonies, including the United States, Australia and Canada.

Former German leader Gerhard Schroeder controversially turned down then French President Jacques Chirac's proposal to participate in the 1998 Armistice Day commemoration.

Sarkozy has made numerous efforts to warm France-Germany relations since taking office in 2007.

During last year's Armistice Day ceremonies, Sarkozy said the day should not only pay homage to the deceased but also should honor the friendship binding Europe together.

The Armistice Treaty was signed between the Allies and Germany in a railway carriage in France's Compiegne Forest on Nov. 11, 1918, to end the war.

Since then, Nov. 11 has been a public holiday in France, including two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. (10 GMT), the time of day the armistice took effect, by many citizens to pay tribute to those killed in the war.