Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday sent a message of condolences to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres following the death of the former head of the world body Kofi Annan.
“I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make informed decisions even in the most complex, critical situations. His memory will live forever in the hearts of Russians,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin statement.
Putin said he was “fortunate” to be in personal contact with Annan while he was leading the United Nations between 1997 and 2006.
“For many years the life of this remarkable man and great politician was devoted to the service of the United Nations,” he said.
“He led the UN in a difficult period… strengthening its central role in world affairs, building the UN’s peacekeeping capacity and resolving a number of regional conflicts.”
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, also sent a message of condolence to Guterres.
He noted “Annan’s significant contribution to… reforming the organisation in order to increase its authority and extend the possibilities for long-term solutions to global problems”.
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