“Narendra, my friend, Congratulations. What an enormous victory…. You don’t need a coalition, but I do. And that’s a big difference,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when he called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday to congratulate him on the Lok Sabha election victory.
Late at night, US President Donald Trump congratulated Modi on his “big” victory and said that great things are in store for bilateral partnership between the countries.
“Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi and his BJP party on their BIG election victory! Great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm. I look forward to continuing our important work together!” Trump tweeted. In his reply, Modi tweeted, “Thank you @realDonaldTrump! This victory represents the aspirations of a nation of 1.3 billion people. I too am looking forward to working closely with you for closer bilateral ties, which also augur well for global peace and prosperity.”
Several other world leaders congratulated Modi, including Pakistan PM Imran Khan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese PM Abe Shinzo, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, among others.
Japanese PM Abe was the first world leader to call up Modi and congratulate him, according to that country’s diplomats.
China’s President Xi extended “heartfelt” congratulations to Modi and vowed to work with him to take bilateral ties to a new high. “I attach great importance to the development of China-India relations and would like to work with you to guide the development directions of the bilateral relations, enhance mutual political trust, expand pragmatic cooperation and promote the closer developmental partnership between the two countries to a new height,” Xi wrote to Modi.
Xi’s message congratulating Modi even before the official announcement of results came as a surprise as normally, by practice and protocol, the Chinese leadership greets leaders of other countries after results are declared officially.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “I am convinced that, as the Prime Minister of India, you will further strengthen the centuries-old friendship between our peoples and the all-round development of a particularly privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India.”
Pakistan’s Imran Khan tweeted, in both English and Urdu, “I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia.”
