MOSCOW, (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday sent a message of condolences to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the passing of the country’s former leader Robert Mugabe.
“Many important events in the modern history of Zimbabwe were associated with the name of Robert Mugabe,” according to the message published on the Kremlin website.
Mugabe made a great personal contribution to the struggle for the independence of Zimbabwe and to the construction of institutions, Putin said.
He added that Mugabe will be remembered in Russia as a consistent supporter of the development of friendly relations between the two countries, who did a lot to strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.
“It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe,” Mnangagwa tweeted earlier on Friday.
Mugabe, 95, ruled the Southern African country for nearly four decades until he was ousted in 2017.
