Gorbachev awarded new Dresden Prize

The German city of Dresden has awarded former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev a new prize meant to honor those who work toward the resolution of conflicts.

On Sunday, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the first-ever "Dresden Prize" for his role in the peaceful democratic transition in former East Germany and the rest of the Communist bloc in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for Saturday, but was pushed back as protests and demonstrations rocked the eastern German city on the anniversary of its bombing during World War II.

The Friends of Dresden Germany Society awarded Gorbachev the 25,000-euro (,000) prize for his perestroika reforms, which restructured the Soviet political and economic systems and paved the way for a transition to democracy across the region.

Gorbachev said he was "deeply moved" by the award. The world's problems would only be able to be solved through dialogue, he said, adding that "we proved this was possible." He also called for more efforts toward a peaceful resolution of conflicts and an end to the arms race.

On Saturday, right-wing and left-wing activists faced off in the city with demonstrators successfully thwarting an attempt by neo-Nazis to hold a march commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Allied firebombing of Dresden.

The city had planned a range of activities to mark the anniversary, both to remember the dead and to focus on broader issues of war and peace.

Deutsche Welle, 14.02.2010