World leaders condemn killing of Abe of Japan, pay tribute to ‘great leader’
TOKYO/KUALA LUMPUR: World leaders on Friday condemned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, paying tribute to him as a great leader.
Abe, 67, was shot from behind during a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan. He was taken to the hospital and later declared brought dead.
Governments expressed grief and solidarity with Japan over the loss of Abe, Japan’s longest-serving leader before stepping down in 2020 for health reasons, as tributes poured in.
US President Joe Biden said he was “shocked, outraged and deeply saddened” and offered his condolences to Abe’s family. He ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff by July 10 to honor Abe and would stop at the Japanese embassy in Washington to comment at CIA headquarters to sign a condolence book.
“This is a tragedy for Japan and for everyone who knew him,” Biden said. “His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will prevail. Above all, he cared deeply for the Japanese people and devoted his life to serving them.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hastily returned to Tokyo from campaign events across the country, condemned the “unforgivable act”. Along with the election campaign, Sunday’s elections to the Upper House of Parliament will also continue, he said.
“Free and fair elections, which are the root of democracy, need to be preserved, no matter what. We will not be defeated by violence,” Kishida said.
Biden called Kishida “a very solid man” and said he did not believe the killing was likely to have “any deep, destabilizing effect on Japanese security or Japanese solidarity.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply saddened by the horrific killing,” adding that he “will always remember his collectivism and commitment to multilateralism.”
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: “Abe’s brutal and cowardly murder” “shocked the world”
“I will never understand the brutal murder of this great man,” European Council President Charles Michel said in a separate tweet.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lauded the leadership role taken by the former prime minister, saying the UK stands with Japan in this dark and sad time.
Incredibly sad news about Shinzo Abe. His global leadership during an unknown time will be remembered by many,” Johnson tweeted.
In a condolence message sent to Emperor Naruhito of Japan, Queen Elizabeth II said that she was also “deeply saddened” by the news of Abe’s death, adding that when she went to Britain she was “expected to meet Mr. Abe and his wife”. Memories”. in 2016.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, “Japan has lost a great prime minister.”
He said in a tweet, Abe “dedicated his life to his country and worked for stability in the world.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed shock and solidarity with Japan over the assassination.
“The deadly attack on Shinzo Abe leaves me shocked and deeply saddened,” the German leader tweeted. “I extend my deepest condolences to his family, my colleague Fumio Kishida and our Japanese friends.”
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said his country was “shocked by the terrible attack on Japan and its free democratic debate.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said he was shocked and saddened by the attack. “The world has lost a great leader, and Jordan and I have lost a true friend,” the emperor tweeted.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Root called the attack “cowardly” and said his thoughts were with Abe’s loved ones and the Japanese people.
“At today’s cabinet meeting we stopped to reflect on this dark day for Japanese democracy. I have fond memories of our friendship and the work we did together.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the death an “irreparable loss”.
In a telegram to Abe’s family, Putin called Abe an “outstanding politician” who had done much to develop “good neighborly relations between our countries”.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yol called the killing an “unacceptable act of crime”.
“I extend my condolences and condolences to his family and to the Japanese people for the loss of our longest-serving prime minister and a respected politician,” Yoon said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared a day of national mourning as a mark of deep respect for Abe.
“Mr. Abe has made a huge contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. Today the whole of India mourns with Japan and we stand with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult time .
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Abe was one of Australia’s closest friends and “a giant on the world stage”, adding that “his legacy was one of global influence, and a profound and positive one for Australia”. . He will be greatly missed.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his condolences to Abe’s family.
“Horrible news of the brutal murder of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and the people of Japan at this difficult time. There is no excuse for this heinous act of violence,” he tweeted.
Iran described the shooting as “an act of terrorism”.
“As a country that has been a victim of terrorism and has lost great leaders to terrorists, we are following this news closely and with concern,” a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry said.
“I am deeply saddened to lose my dear friend, the former Prime Minister of Japan, in an armed attack. I condemn the perpetrators of this heinous attack,” said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Chinese embassy in Japan said it was “shocked” by the shootings.
“During his tenure, former Prime Minister Abe contributed to the improvement and development of Sino-Japanese relations. We mourn his passing and extend our sympathies and sympathies to his family.”
Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed condolences on Twitter.
“We will always remember his contribution to strengthening RI-Japan cooperation,” he wrote. May PM Abe’s family and the people of Japan be given strength in this difficult time.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressed “extreme outrage” over the killing and declared three days of official mourning in solidarity with Japan.
Bolsonaro described Abe as a “great leader” and a “great friend of Brazil”, including a photo of two men shaking hands at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2019.
With approximately 1.9 million immigrants and descendants, Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside the archipelago.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Abe’s killing “incredibly shocking”.
Offering condolences to Abe’s widow and the people of Japan, he said, “The world has lost a great visionary, and Canada has lost a close friend.”
After the attack, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted: “Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot.”
“Our condolences are with his family and the people of Japan at this time.”
Former President Donald Trump, too, said the detained killer “is expected to be dealt with swiftly and harshly.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken lamented Abe as a visionary leader who fostered ties between the two allies.
Jointly meeting his Japanese and South Korean counterparts at the G20 meeting in Bali, Blinken said Abe had “taken the relationship between our countries, the United States and Japan to new heights.”
The International Olympic Committee praised Abe for the “vision, determination and dependability” that allowed it to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the Olympic flag would be flown at half-staff at the Olympic House in Lausanne for three days.
(with AFP and AP)