Middle East people need to feel "masters of their own countries": Gorbachev

Moscow, Feb 11 (ANI): The political unrest in the Arab world has convinced former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that the Middle East should embrace democracy and allow it people to be masters of their own countries.

Gorbachev has rejected speculations that democracy would fail in countries like Egypt and Tunisia.

"People need to feel they are masters of their own countries. Political commentators and politicians have been saying we must not allow countries to go the way of Gorbachev - glasnost, free elections, freedom of speech, democratisation," Sky News quoted him, as saying.

"They say this is a dangerous path, dangerous for the ruling elites. But listen - we should think about the people. They can only develop if they can influence politics," Gorbachev added.

Insisting that the Arab world is "very capable," he said that the current unrest in the region should begin a new era, and that Arabs and Muslims should get involved in the global process of creating a healthier global environment by taking part in combating terrorism."

"This has been set in motion in the Middle East. People want to feel like human beings," Gorbachev added. (ANI)