Secretary-General mourns death of Russian diplomat

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his profound sadness at learning of the death of Yuli Vorontsov, the Russian diplomat who coordinated international efforts aimed at recovering the remains of Kuwaitis and other nationals missing since Iraq’s 1990 invasion.

Mr. Vorontsov, who passed away yesterday was “a distinguished diplomat… [who] showed dedication and tireless effort” to his work, whether working with the UN on the Kuwait issue or as his country’s First Deputy Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the UN, Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General wishes to convey his heartfelt condolences to the family of Ambassador Vorontsov and to the Government of the Russian Federation. He will be mourned with profound respect and affection by friends around the world.”

In February 2000, Mr. Vorontsov was appointed as the High-level Coordinator in relation to the issues detailed in a 1999 Security Council resolution on the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In that post he coordinated efforts to repatriate or return all Kuwaiti and third country nationals, or their remains, and to return all Kuwaiti property.

Mr. Vorontsov died just a few days after returning from Kuwait, where he held consultations and prepared the Secretary-General’s most recent report on the progress towards recovering and identifying the missing persons and property.