Following the fire in a disco in the Russian city of Perm, Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle sent a letter of condolence to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The letter read as follows:

“With deep shock and great sadness I once again express my heartfelt condolences to you and the citizens of Russia now that another appalling human tragedy has hit your country. The death of more than 100 people and the many injured during the fire in a Perm disco has horrified everyone in Germany.

At this difficult time, our sympathy and thoughts are with the victims, as well as with their families and friends.”