01:24Russia: State Duma observes minute of silence for Vitali Churkin
Members of the Russian State Duma held a minute of silence in Moscow, Wednesday, to honour the late Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitali Churkin, who passed away in New York City on Monday.
Chairperson of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said Churkin "was a person who advocated the interests of our country, [and was] a brilliant diplomat, a man who loved his country. He did everything he could in the United Nations in order to protect the interests of our country, our citizens."
Vitali Churkin was serving as Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN when he passed away in New York City on Monday. Churkin was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan after he had reportedly suffered heart problems at the offices of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation on East 67th Street.
The 64-year-old had been Russia's UN representative since 2006. Before he took the post he had served as Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2003-2006), as well as Ambassador to Canada (1998-2003), and as Deputy Foreign Minister, and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the talks on Former Yugoslavia (1992-1994), among other top level diplomatic posts.
Passing away one day before his 65th birthday, Churkin is survived by his wife and two children.
01:24Members of the Russian State Duma held a minute of silence in Moscow, Wednesday, to honour the late Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitali Churkin, who passed away in New York City on Monday.
Chairperson of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said Churkin "was a person who advocated the interests of our country, [and was] a brilliant diplomat, a man who loved his country. He did everything he could in the United Nations in order to protect the interests of our country, our citizens."
Vitali Churkin was serving as Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN when he passed away in New York City on Monday. Churkin was rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan after he had reportedly suffered heart problems at the offices of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation on East 67th Street.
The 64-year-old had been Russia's UN representative since 2006. Before he took the post he had served as Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2003-2006), as well as Ambassador to Canada (1998-2003), and as Deputy Foreign Minister, and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation to the talks on Former Yugoslavia (1992-1994), among other top level diplomatic posts.
Passing away one day before his 65th birthday, Churkin is survived by his wife and two children.