April 23, 2007

Contact: Lynne Weil, 202-225-5021

Washington, DC – Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on the passing of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin:

“I am saddened to hear of the death of Boris Yeltsin. His nine years in office set the stage for significant political and economic reform in Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Given the unfortunate backslide in recent years from the initiatives he introduced, the Yeltsin presidency remains one of the most democratic eras in the country’s history.”

(End)