UN mourning Russian envoy’s death

UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have expressed their condolences over the sudden death of Russian envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin.

“The members of the Security Council mourned the Ambassador, who has spent more than 40 years in the Russian diplomatic service, has headed the Russian Mission to the United Nations for more than a decade and would have turned 65 on 21 February 2017”, statement said on Monday.

Antonio Guterres praised Churkin as an outstanding diplomat. “I very much appreciated the opportunity to work with him, and I will be greatly missing his insight, skills and friendship,” he said.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini joined senior officials from around the world in mourning the death of Churkin, noting that she personally appreciated the Russian diplomat’s “vast experience and openness.”

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin died suddenly in New York on Monday after being taken ill at work. No details of what may have caused his death are known.

“A prominent Russian diplomat has died while on duty. We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin,” a statement on the foreign ministry’s website said.

Churkin represented Russia in the UN since 2006. He was a pugnacious defender of Russian policy, including the 2008 war with Georgia, annexation of Crimea and conflict in eastern Ukraine.