Pakistan, China, the United States, Russia and many other countries on Thursday mourned the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, recalling the contribution made by him in various fields.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson said Vajpayee was a renowned statesman who contributed to bringing a change in India-Pakistan relations and remained a key supported of SAARC and regional cooperation for development.
Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said he was deeply saddened by the passing away of Vajpayee. ‘’We will never forget his great contribution to China India relation,’’ he added.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina described him as “one of the most famous sons of India”, and spoke about his contribution towards good governance and for highlighting issues affecting the common people.
The US Embassy in New Delhi, in a statement, said Vajpayee would be remembered for his immense contribution in bolstering India-US relations while Japanese Ambassador Hiramatsu said his demise was a great loss not only to India but also to Japan and other parts of Asia as well as the international community.
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Russian Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev described Vajpayee as one of the architects of India’s long-lasting and time-tested privileged strategic partnership with Moscow. The Maldives Embassy in India said Male was saddened by the demise of Vajpayee.