Russia’s Ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin dies

Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin has died on Feb. 20 at the age of 64, the Russian foreign ministry said, reports TASS.

"The Russian foreign ministry deeply regrets to announce that Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin has died suddenly in New York on Feb. 20, a day ahead of his 65th birthday," the ministry said.

"The outstanding Russian diplomat died in harness," the ministry said.

"We offer sincere condolences to the family of Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin."

Accordingt to the New York Post, Russian Ambassador to the UN died after suffering cardiac arrest. "Churkin fell ill at his office at the Russian Mission to the U.N. on East 67th Street around 9:30 a.m. and was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived. He was pronounced dead at 10:55 a.m," New York Post reports.

Churkin was born in Moscow on Feb.21, 1952 into the family of a design engineer. He has been Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations since April 8, 2006.

Moment of silence held at the UN today in memory of @RussiaUN Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin. https://t.co/HJnuTro8in

— United Nations (@UN) 20 февраля 2017 г.

Putin offers condolences over Vitaly Churkin’s death

"The head of state highly estimated Churkin’s professionalism and diplomatic talents."

Russian diplomatic community mourns UN ambassador’s death

Maria Zakharova: "He was a great professional, an outstanding man and a strong personality who took to heart all he was doing."

Churkin’s death is big loss, says Russia’s mission to UN Geneva office

"We are mourning over the tragic death of Ambassador Vitaly Churkin who represented Russia in New York. It is a big loss. We offer our condolences to his family," the mission said on its Twitter account.

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