Australian Leaders Pay Tribute to Man Who Lifted ‘Great Shadow’ From Humanity

Former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev takes part in the celebration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Nov. 9, 2014. AP Photo/dpa, Bernd von Jutrczenka

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led tributes to the late former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, saying he changed the world for the better and that one of the true giants on the 2oth Century was gone.

In an official media statement, Albanese said that Gorbachev was instrumental in transitioning the Soviet Union away from a closed communist society.