Britain's former foreign secretary Robin Cook died on Saturday aged 59 after suffering a heart attack. This file photo was taken on July 7, 2003. (Xinhua photo)

    LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Britain's former foreign secretary Robin Cook died on Saturday aged 59 after suffering a heart attack.

    The Labor member of parliament (MP) was walking with friends along Mt Ben Stack in the Scottish Highlands when he collapsed, the Sky news reported.

    Cook was taken by air ambulance from the mountain, near Thurso,to a hospital in Inverness at around 2.30 pm.

    He was with his second wife, Gaynor, when he suffered the heart attack near the summit of the mountain.

    They reportedly had to ask other walkers to dial 999 for help as they had no means of communication themselves.

    Cook, MP for Livingston since 1983, is reportedly to have been conscious when he was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, but was pronounced dead at 4.05 pm.

    "Robin was the greatest parliamentarian of his generation. He also made an enormous contribution to British politics in opposition and in Government. He will be sorely missed," said Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

    Cook resigned from the government in March 2003 after disagreeing strongly with Prime Minister Tony Blair on bringing Britain to the war on Iraq.

    In 1997, he divorced first wife Margaret after starting a relationship with his former Foreign Office secretary Gaynor Regan, whom he married in 1998.

    He leaves behind a wife and two children from his first marriage.Enditem