23 April 2007
Tony Blair has paid tribute to former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who has died at the age of 76.
The PM described him as a remarkable man who played a vital role in Russia’s history.
Mr Yeltsin became Russia’s first democratically elected president after Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as Soviet leader in December 1991. He had a quintuple heart bypass operation following his re-election in 1996.
Mr Yeltsin announced his retirement at the end of 1999, handing over to Vladimir Putin.
On hearing the news today, the PM said:
“It is with sadness that I learned of the death of former President Boris Yeltsin. He was a remarkable man who saw the need for democratic and economic reform and, in defending it, he played a vital role at a crucial time in Russia’s history.”
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