The German Bundestag commemorated Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union. Baerbel Bas, President of the Bundestag, delivered a speech at the commemoration ceremony, which was also attended by the President of Germany, Frank Walter Steinmeier. Bas said in her speech that Gorbachev will be remembered as a leader who changed and liberated the world for the better. Stating that Gorbachev was a man of peace, Bas said, “He accomplished the seemingly impossible for years and ended the Cold War peacefully. It also put an end to the division of our country and the continent. We Germans are grateful to Mikhail Gorbachev. He changed the history of our country and the lives of millions of people. His courage and stance played an important role in the reunification of our country. We will not forget this,” she stated.

Mikhail Gorbachev died at the age of 91 at the Moscow Central Clinical Hospital on August 30.