German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that even nearly three decades after the country was reunited, there’s still work to be done to bring the people of the former East and West together.

Merkel told the crowd marking the 29th anniversary of reunification in the northern city of Kiel that German unity is an ongoing process and a constant mission, the dpa news agency reported Thursday.

She says “the official German reunification, that is complete. But the unity of the Germans, their unity was not fully complete on Oct. 3, 1990, and it is still the case today.”

Merkel herself is from the former East Germany, but recent polls indicate many residents there today see themselves as underrepresented in German politics and businesses, contributing to an overall feeling that their voices are often not heard.