Former Russian President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mikhail Gorbachev has expressed his condolences over the death of former President Kim Dae-jung.

In a fax message to Yonhap News on Wednesday, Gorbachev said he was saddened at the death of the renowned politician and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

In the letter, the former Russian president said Kim made significant contributions to human rights, democracy and peace on the Korean Peninsula. He added that Kim’s election as president of South Korea stemmed from political moves based on peace and democracy.

Gorbachev and Kim had been close since the early 1990s, with the foundations of the two politicians maintaining cooperation and exchanges in various programs.