MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax) - Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachyov has offered his sincere condolences over the death of former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
"I express deepest condolences over the death of Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze. We were friends and I regret his passing away a lot," Gorbachev told Interfax on Monday.
Shevardnadze was an unconventional and talented person, Gorbachev said. "He managed to find quickly contact with different people - young people and older generation. He had bright nature and Georgian temper," he said.
"Shevardnadze was a major politician. He contributed a lot to perestroika foreign policy and he was a sincere supporter of new mindset in global affairs," Gorbachev said.
"His appointment as the [Soviet Union] foreign minister was a surprise to many people but he conducted affairs at this position wisely and it was no accident that diplomats, colleagues and foreign partners valued him," the former Soviet leader said.
The former Georgian president played "great" role in "uniting Germany, in European affairs in general, in stabilizing our relations with China and dialogue with the United States," Gorbachev said. "I would like to emphasize what he has done to stop the nuclear weapons race," he said.