Prague, Dec 19 (ANI): Various leaders across the world paid tribute to former Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, who died on Sunday morning after a prolonged period of bad health.
US President Barack Obama said Havel, who was 75, had "helped to unleash tides of history that led to a democratic Europe".
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the Czech Republic had lost "one of its great patriots," the BBC reports.
"France has lost a friend, and Europe has lost one of its wisest men," he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel described Havel as a "great European".
"His fight for freedom and democracy was as unforgettable as his great humanity. We Germans in particular have much for which we are grateful to him," she added.
Havel, who had looked in poor health in recent appearances, died at his country home comforted by his wife Dagmar and several nuns.
Heavy smoker Havel had a history of chronic respiratory problems and had a part of a lung removed during surgery for cancer in the 1990s.
Havel, the former dissident playwright, was elected first president of the Czech Republic in January 1993, serving until 2003 when he resigned as his health deteriorated.
The Czech Republic is observing a week of mourning and hundreds of candles were lit in Wenceslas Square, the place that was the focal point of the "Velvet Revolution" that overthrew the country's communist regime. (ANI)
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