Arnold Ruutel, the former president of Estonia and one of the key figures in the country’s restoration of independence in 1991, has passed away at the age of 96, the president’s office announced overnight.
Ruutel, who was a communist party official during the late 1980s as the Soviet Union began to collapse, played a pivotal role in Estonia’s struggle to reclaim its sovereignty after half a century of Soviet rule.
Serving as Estonia’s president from 2001 to 2006, Ruutel was instrumental in the country’s accession to the European Union and NATO in 2004.
“He was one of the leaders of our independence,” the Estonian presidency said in a statement.
AFP
