United Nations Secretary General mourns death of Vajpayee

New York, Aug 23 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has paid tribute to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away a week ago following a prolonged illness.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin revealed that Guterres visited the office of the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in New York and wrote his tributary message for the late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart.

"Official mourning ends...fond memories remain. @UN Secretary General @antonioguterres visits @IndiaUNNewYork to record condolences and recall fondly his relationship with Late Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee," Akbaruddin tweeted.

Vajpayee breathed his last on August 16 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. He was incinerated with full state honour at Smriti Sthal on the banks of river Yamuna.

Many political leaders in India and abroad grieved the loss and paid tributes to the late leader.