REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, TBILISI - Eduard Shevardnadze, a former president of Georgia and Soviet foreign minister, died on Monday after a long struggle with illness, his personal assistant said.

Shevardnadze, who was 86, played a vital role in ending the Cold War as Soviet foreign minister, and went on to lead his native Georgia in the stormy early years after independence before being ousted in street protests.  

The last Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, expressed sorrow over the passing of a "friend", hailing him as an "extraordinary, talented person" who had done much to bring down the Berlin Wall and end the nuclear arms race.

"He was always quick to find a way of connecting with different people - with youngsters and the older generation. He had a bright character, a Georgian temperament," he said, referring to Shevardnadze's passionate nature.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to his "family, as well as the Georgian people". Shevardnadze's assistant, Marina Davitashvili, told Reuters he had died after a long illness and said he had died at midday local time.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika