Messages

President Vladimir Putin, Russian federation

Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin, the first President of Russia, has passed away. His presidency has inscribed him forever in Russian and in world history. A person who began a new era has passed away. A new democratic Russia was born during his time : a free, open and peaceful country. A state in which the power truly does belong to the people.

The first President of Russia’s strength consisted in the mass support of Russian citizens for his ideas and aspirations. Thanks to the will and direct initiative of President Boris Yeltsin a new constitution, one which declared human rights a supreme value, was adopted. It gave people the opportunity to freely express their thoughts, to freely choose power in Russia, to realise their creative and entrepreneurial plans. This Constitution permitted us to begin building a truly effective Federation.

We knew Boris Nikolayevich as a brave and a warm-hearted, spiritual person. He was an upstanding and courageous national leader. And he was always very honest and frank while defending his position.

Boris Yeltsin assumed full responsibility for everything he called for, for everything he aspired to. For everything he tried to do and did do for the sake of Russia, for the sake of millions of Russians. And he invariably took upon himself, let it in his heart, all the trials and tribulations of Russia, peoples’ difficulties and problems.

And today I would like to express my most sincere and profound condolences to Naina Iosifovna and to Boris Nikolayevich’s friends and relatives.

We grieve with you. We will do everything to ensure that the memory of Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, his noble thoughts and his words “take care of Russia” will always act as our moral and political watchwords.

I declare 25 April 2007 a day of national mourning. Source : Kremlin - Moscow, April 23, 2007

President and Mrs. Bush, USA

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin. President Yeltsin was an historic figure who served his country during a time of momentous change. He played a key role as the Soviet Union dissolved, helped lay the foundations of freedom in Russia, and became the first democratically elected leader in that country’s history. I appreciate the efforts that President Yeltsin made to build a strong relationship between Russia and the United States. We offer our sincerest condolences to the Yeltsin family and to the Russian people. Source : White House, April 23, 2007

Ban Ki-moon, Secrétaire Général de l’ONU

Le Secrétaire général de l’ONU, Ban Ki-moon, s’est déclaré aujourd’hui attristé d’apprendre la mort de Boris Eltsine, premier président démocratiquement élu de la Fédération de Russie.

« La mémoire du président Eltsine sera marquée par le rôle critique qu’il a joué pour faire avancer les réformes politiques et économiques en Russie, ainsi que pour promouvoir le rapprochement entre l’Est et l’Occident », indique un message transmis aujourd’hui par sa porte-parole.

Ban Ki-moon a transmis ses condoléances à la famille de Boris Eltsine et au peuple ainsi qu’au gouvernement de la Fédération de Russie.

Selon les informations parues dans la presse, Boris Eltsine est mort aujourd’hui à l’âge de 76 ans d’un brusque arrêt cardiaque. Premier président de la Fédération de Russie après la fin de l’URSS, de 1991 à 1999, il avait désigné Vladimir Poutine comme son successeur. Source : ONU, New York, 23 avril 2007

President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa

Pretoria : South African President Thabo Mbeki today Monday, 23 April 2007, on behalf of the government and people of South Africa extended our heartfelt condolences to President Vladimir Putin, and the government and peoples of the Russian Federation on the passing away of former President Boris Yeltsin earlier in the day.

The late President Yeltsin was indeed a friend of South Africa in his endeavours to consolidate and strengthen political, cultural and people-to-people relations between the Russian Federation and South Africa.

In this regard, the government and people of South Africa join the international community in sharing its thoughts and prayers with the family of the late President Yeltsin, and the government and people of the Russian Federation during this period of national mourning. Source : SAGI, April 23, 2007