MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences over the death of the 41st President of the Unites States George HW Bush, who died on Friday at the age of 94, in a statement published on the Kremlin website.

In his statement, Putin addressed the 43rd US President George W Bush. "Please, accept my deepest condolences on the death of your father, George Herbert Walker Bush, former president of the United States. An outstanding man, who has faithfully served his country all his life - with a weapon in his hands during the war and in senior government positions during peaceful times - is no longer with us," the Russian leader said.

The Russian president noted that as head of the US during one of the most important stages of world history, George HW Bush "has expressed political wisdom and foresight, strove to make informed decisions even in the most difficult situations."

"George Bush Sr. has also done a lot to strengthen Russian-American cooperation on the issues of global security," Putin added.

George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States, has died at the age of 94, his office reported on Saturday. He is survived by his five children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and two siblings.

During his time as US president, he has held seven meetings with USSR and Russian leaders - Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin. As a result of these meetings, the leaders signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START I and II).