Russian Ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, passed away in New Delhi on Thursday. According to reports, the 67-year-old suffered a heart failure.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted their condolences. In their posts, they said that India lost a valued friend.
Kadakin, who began his diplomatic career as a probationer at the Russian Embassy in India in 1971, enjoyed a close relationship with India. He was proficient in Hindi and was reportedly close to the Gandhi family.
He lived in New Delhi from 1972 to 1978 and served as the Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy twice between 1989 and 1993. Kadakin was the Russian Ambassador to India for two terms, first from 1999-2004 and then since 2009.
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