MOSCOW (Sputnik) — US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft on Monday expressed condolences to the family of Russian Ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin over the untimely death of the Russian diplomat.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin," the embassy's press service quoted Tefft as saying.
Churkin, 64, who has served as Russia's Permanent Representative to UN since April, 2006, died in New York earlier on Monday.