John Kerry: Shevardnadze was a great statesman
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United States (US) Secretary of State John Kerry has offered his condolences on the passing of former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
In a statement, Kerry said in the 1980s Shevardnadze played an instrumental role with President Gorbachev, President Reagan, and Secretary Shultz in bringing the Cold War to an end.
"He reduced the risk of nuclear confrontation by giving new life to arms control negotiations. He opposed the hardliners and refused to use force against Central and Eastern European countries when they began political and economic reforms, and he advocated reform within the Soviet Union as well,” said Kerry in his statement.
"As Georgia’s second President following the restoration of independence, Shevardnadze helped ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that fragile state during the 1990s, and put Georgia on its irreversible trajectory toward Euro-Atlantic integration,” Kerry noted.
The US Secretary of State called on Georgian people to continue moving the country on its democratic path.
"As Georgia pauses to reflect on the life of one of its great statesmen, we urge all Georgians to remain committed to a united, democratic Georgia,” Kerry said.
Georgia’s second President, Shevardnadze, died yesterday afternoon at the age of 87 after battling a long illness.
Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili is paying his respects to the family of one of Georgia’s early presidents who died earlier today.
Georgia’s second President Eduard Shevardnadze died in Tbilisi today. Members of his family confirmed the 86-year-old passed away earlier this afternoon at his Tbilisi house after a long illness.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is expressing his condolences following the death of Georgia’s second President Eduard Shevardnadze.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has voiced his sympathies following the death of Georgia’s second President Eduard Shevardnadze.
The body of Georgia’s former President Eduard Shevardnadze’s is lying in state at the country’s main cathedral.
The late President’s body was taken to Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi today.
A prominent Georgian man described as a "key figure in international relations”, as someone who "helped to end the Cold War” and a politician who reunified Germany died this week.
Ex-President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze was buried in Tbilisi next to his wife in Krtsanisi Residence where he lived since his resignation from presidency after the 2003 Rose Revolution.