MOSCOW, March 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev on his 78th birthday on Monday.

"You belong to a range of politicians who have influenced the progress of world history. Your name is connected with serious changes in our country and the move to a policy of transparency in international relations," Medvedev said in a statement on the Kremlin website.

"It is pleasant to note that you are still participating in the public life of the country, as well as providing for the implementation of many significant social initiatives, including at an international level," Medvedev added.

The Russian president also said he hoped Gorbachev's prestige and unique political experience would "continue serving Russia's interests in the future."

Nobel Peace Prize winner Gorbachev, respected in the United States and Europe for the reforms that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, was awarded the U.S. Liberty Medal last year for his role in ending the Cold War.