Kasatkin, former Russian Ambassador to Thailand and Portugal, has died.

Retired Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Valentin Kasatkin to Thailand and Portugal passed away on June 13 at the age of 96. This was reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"Thanks to his high business and personal qualities — initiative, dedication, remarkable ability to work and the richness of his nature, he earned the well-deserved respect of his colleagues. The bright memory of a wonderful professional and man, Valentin Petrovich Kasatkin, will forever remain in our hearts," the message on the Foreign Ministry's website says.

The foreign Ministry noted that Kasatkin had a wealth of professional experience and applied his talent both during the Cold War and during the period of deep geopolitical shifts.

Valentin Kasatkin was born on February 16, 1930 in Moscow. After graduating from MGIMO in 1954, he worked in various positions at the central office of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and abroad, including the secretariat of the UN European Office in Geneva.

From 1984 to 1987, Kasatkin served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR to the Kingdom of Thailand, while serving as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). From 1987 to 1991, he headed the Soviet Embassy in the Portuguese Republic.