**New Delhi:** The Russian ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, died here on Thursday, Indian officials said. He was 68.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by the death.
“Deeply saddened,” Modi tweeted. “He was an admirable diplomat, a great friend of India and a fluent Hindi speaker who tirelessly contributed to stronger India-Russia ties.”
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup also paid homage to the envoy.
“In Kadakin, we lost a valued friend who nurtured India-Russia relationship for many decades as a distinguished Russian diplomat,” Swarup said.
Kadakin had been the Russian ambassador to India since 2009.
(IANS)
