Malta’s Ambassador To Russia Pays Powerful Tribute To Gorbachev, ‘Man Who Made The World Love The Soviet Union’
Malta’s ambassador to Russia Clive Pierre Agius has issued a moving tribute to the late Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, hailing him as a man who “made the world love the Soviet Union”.
Agius’ tribute was published on the Facebook wall of former Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo, who described the ambassador’s words as “beautiful, profound, heartfelt and sensible”.
“I remember my first meeting with [Gorbachev],” Agius said. “He was a really genuine politician who did what he believed in even when faced with suspicions from within and outside.”
“He continued pushing, even when the West didn’t believe in him and held him back and when they didn’t loan him money so he could continue reforming.”
“He managed to make the world love the Soviet Union, the opposite of what Russia is passing through right now. He was a man who didn’t accept restrictions on his principles. He placed humanity at the centre of communist politics.”
“However, he was betrayed by both his friends and the West alike.”
On a personal level, Agius said he truly admired Gorbachev and indeed was the only ambassador to attend his 89th birthday celebration two years ago.
“I think I became a diplomat because of him… he had really inspired me when I was a university student and he used to make me dream,” he said. “Had the West truly given him a chance, the world would be in a better place right now. We are too obsessed with political judgments, we don’t care about creating a fair world but about weakening nations.”
Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union and one of the most powerful political figures of the 21st century, died this week aged 91.
He holds a key place in Maltese diplomatic history due to his participation in the 1989 Malta Summit along with US President George Bush Snr, during which the two world leaders declared an end to the Cold War.
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