VATICAN, August 31. /TASS/. Pope Francis expressed his condolences over the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, the first and only Soviet president.
In a telegram sent to Gorbachev’s daughter Irina, the pope praised his "commitment to harmony and brotherhood among nations."
"In spiritual closeness at this moment of pain due to the death of your father Mikhail, I would like to express my sincere condolences to you, all relatives and those who saw him as a respected statesman. Recalling with gratitude the far-sighted commitment to harmony and brotherhood among nations, as well as the development of his country in an era of important changes," the Pope said, according to press service of the Holy See.
As a reminder, the Vatican said Gorbachev met with Pope John Paul II in 1989. Gorbachev said in an article dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Pope John Paul II in 2020 that the meeting was symbolic because it took place ahead of talks with the US president.
"Then in Malta, we proclaimed with George Bush that our countries no longer consider each other enemies," Gorbachev said. "It was a turning point in world history when we started communicating. After so many years of alienation and enmity between East and West, the leaders of the largest states have finally realized that we have a common enemy, namely the threat of nuclear catastrophe. Since then, through joint efforts, we have begun to move from confrontation to cooperation, and later to partnership."
Gorbachev died in Moscow on Tuesday at the age of 91.