China's FM Wang Calls Russian Late Envoy to UN Churkin 'Outstanding Diplomat'

Late Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin was an outstanding diplomat, who made a major contribution to the Russian-Chinese cooperation in the organization, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — Russia's UN Ambassador passed away on February 20 in New York. Churkin served as Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations and the Russian representative in the UN Security Council from April 2006 until his death. The diplomat would have turned 65 on Tuesday, February 21.

"Churkin was an outstanding Russian diplomat. As a Russian Envoy to the United Nations, he did a great job to strengthen Russian-Chinese cooperation within the United Nations," Wang Yi said as quoted in the ministry statement.

The foreign minister expressed deep condolences to the family of the envoy and said he hoped that Russian and Chinese missions to the United Nations would further cooperate.