Russian President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera on the successful rescue of the 33 miners trapped in the San Jose mine for 69 days, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
The miners, trapped more than 600 meters underground for over two months after a rock collapse, were freed on Thursday.
Medvedev said the rescue operation proved that "even the most severe ordeals can be successfully overcome with the will and courage of people who have a single goal."
The rescue operation started on Tuesday evening when the first miner, Florencio Avalos, was raised to the surface.
MOSCOW, October 14 (RIA Novosti)
