Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made a joke about FBI Director James Comey's sudden firing as he once again sparred on camera with NBC's longtime correspondent Andrea Mitchell.

Lavrov made the unexpected comment during a visit to the State Department, just hours after President Trump's firing of the FBI boss once again brought swirling investigations of alleged Russian election interference to the forefront.

Lavrov appeared with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for a brief photo-op that included a prolonged handshake between the two men.

'Does the Comey firing cast a shadow over your talks, gentlemen?' Mitchell shouted out.

Lavrov responded: 'Was he fired? You are kidding! You are kidding!'

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (R) watches as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reacts to a reporter's question by joking about FBI Director James Comey's firing

With that, Lavrov shrugged his shoulders, turned away from gathered reporters, and walked out the door of the ornate Treaty Room where the event was held as reporters continued to yell questions about the Russia investigation.

Lavrov didn't offer any other words.

Tillerson's own remarks were brief, and overlapped with the long handshake with the skilled and longtime emissary for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

'I want to welcome foreign minister Lavrov to the State Department,' Tillerson said, 'and express my appreciation for him making the trip to Washington so that we could continue our dialogue and our exchange of views that began in Moscow with the dialogue he hosted on a very broad range of topics. Thank you.'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged a hearty handshake before Tillerson made brief remarks

After reporters including NBC's Andrea Mitchell shouted questions, Lavrov stopped to engage, joking about FBI Director James Comey: 'Was he fired?'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) speaks while posing for photos with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Treaty Room of the State Department

The two diplomats then walked out of the room while reporters continued to shout questions

It wasn't Lavrov's first exchange with Mitchell, 70.

Lavrov scolded her for her 'manners' after she shouted a question during his meeting with Tillerson in Moscow in April.

Video of the incident begins by showing Tillerson, Lavrov and other officials sitting down at a table at the start of the press conference.

Before anyone could be seated at the table, Mitchell started shouting: 'Mr. Secretary, the Russians don't believe the intelligence. How confident are you, Mr. Secretary—?'

But before the 70-year-old journalist could finish her sentence, Lavrov quickly interjected: 'Who was bringing you up?'

'Who was giving you your manners, you know?' he asked Mitchell while grinning.

Mithcell got scolded by Lavrov in Moscow in April. That wasn't her first incident with Tillerson (above left on Wednesday next to Lavrov), as a little over a month ago the veteran journalist was kicked out of a State Department press conference for repeatedly shouting questions at Tillerson

Mitchell however claims that she was not the one being targeted, stating: 'My colleague Carol Morello was the brave journalist who started asking questions.

'Lavrov was looking right at her. I was on the opposite side of the room, behind him, out of sight. Perhaps I was a convenient foil, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't his target.'

The exchange came as tensions between Russia and the U.S. were high following the missile strike President Trump ordered on Syria.

President Trump was set to meet with Lavrov in the Oval Office Wednesday morning. The U.S. and Russia have a series of friction points, including Moscow's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and what the U.S. intelligence community says was interference in the U.S. presidential election.