MOSCOW, April 8 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin offered condolences to British Prime Minister David Cameron in connection with the death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In his message, Putin noted that a whole era in the history of Great Britain is connected with the name of Thatcher. “Endowed with political wisdom and unique willpower, she devoted her life to serving the interests of Britain,” Putin said.
He stressed that people in Russia will remember Thatcher as a person who made a significant contribution to the development of dialogue and mutually advantageous relations between the two countries.
“I think we have lost a major politician. I regret that and offer condolences to the British people and the government of Great Britain on behalf of the leadership of Russia,” Putin said earlier in the day replying to a question from ITAR-TASS at a press conference in Amsterdam.
In his opinion, “Margaret Thatcher, undoubtedly, was among the brightest politicians in the contemporary world.”
Putin said he had known her personally and was greatly impressed by her.
He noted that Thatcher was a tough and consistent person and this helped Britain cope with its economic crisis. “It is well known that she was criticised for some of her measures, including budget spending constraints and limitation of labour union rights, but her actions proved effective at a time of crisis,” Putin said.
“She made a significant contribution to the development of British-Soviet and British-Russian relations,” he stressed and said he was grateful to her for that.