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Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid his last respects to Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, who was assassinated in Ankara on Dec. 19.
The president attended the funeral ceremony at the foreign ministry’s building and laid burgundy roses at the coffin. Putin also conveyed his condolences to the family of the departed ambassador - his mother, widow, son and sister.
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Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Speaker Valentina Matvienko, State Duma (lower house of parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also bid their final farewells to the departed ambassador. Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who knew Karlov personally and worked at the Russian embassy in Turkey himself, also laid flowers beside the casket.
On Dec. 21, Putin awarded Andrei Karlov a Hero of Russia title posthumously.
In order to attend the funeral ceremony, the president had postponed his annual press conference.
Source: TASS