Скачать или смотреть Former Soviet leader comments on pope's legacy

(3 Apr 2005)
1. Exterior of Gorbachev foundation building
2. Close-up of sign: 'Gorbachev Foundation'
3. Set-up shot of Mikhail Gorbachev, ex-Soviet president
4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Soviet leader
"He (the pope) welcomed what we did in the USSR, that we didn't block the democratic processes in Central and Eastern Europe, that our troops remained where they should be and didn't interfere. He said that this was what could change Europe, our continent that was divided - a divide that was symbolised by the Berlin Wall."
5. Photo of Gorbachev meeting Pope John Paul II
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Soviet leader
"(The pope said) Europe must breathe with two lungs, meaning that both East and West should be given the chance to live fully. He was very interested in Europe, and of course, he was very much concerned about developing states. Fighting poverty, appeals to help the poor, and educate children, and to preserve their culture - I think his deepest humanism transpired through these appeals. I would call him the number one humanist leader in the world."
7. Cutaway photos of Gorbachev as Soviet leader
8. Wide shot interview

STORYLINE:

Pope John Paul II was the world's "No. 1 humanist" whose advocacy of human rights helped Eastern Europe throw off the weight of communist oppression, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said on Sunday.

In an interview in Moscow, Gorbachev, whose six-year presidency overlapped with John Paul's 26-year papacy, fondly recalled the late Roman Catholic leader who played a substantial role in the collapse of European communism.

Gorbachev said John Paul's continual campaign for human rights and self-determination played a big role in helping to lift the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe, particularly in his native country of Poland.

John Paul believed Europe should breathe with both lungs, Gorbachev said, meaning that Central and Eastern Europe should have the freedom that the West enjoyed.

Gorbachev said the pontiff welcomed and supported Soviet initiatives in this respect, allowing democratic processes in Eastern Europe to take place.

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