Published 09:00 IST, November 8th 2020
Joe Biden to be 46th US President, relief palpable among leaders; Boris takes dig at Trump
Leaders from various parts of the world congratulated the United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory.
Leaders from various parts of the world congratulated the United States President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the US elections. After massive campaigns by both sides, the US witnessed a nailbiting election battle between incumbent President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. With record mail-in ballots being polled amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the results were inconclusive on November 3, as millions of ballots remained to be counted. However, slowly and steadily, the states that were pending turned blue for Biden, with his home state Pennsylvania being the one that earmarked him as the 46th President of the US.
World Leaders congratulate Biden and Harris
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Biden on winning the 2020 US Election and becoming the person-in-line to become the 46th President of the United States unseating incumbent Donald Trump. PM Modi has tweeted a photo of the pair of them from his visit to the US when Biden was Barack Obama's Vice President and hailed his then contributions to strengthening India-US relations. The Prime Minister has also congratulated Indian-origin Kamala Harris who will be the first woman Vice President of the US, highlighting the significance of her achievement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement congratulating Biden and Harris. He also took to his official Twitter handle as he said that he is “really looking forward to working together”. In the statement, Trudeau mentioned the ‘extraordinary’ relationship that Canada and the United States share and emphasized how they can further build on this foundation. The statement read, “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their election as the next President and Vice President of the United States of America. Canada and the United States enjoy an extraordinary relationship – one that is unique on the world stage. Our shared geography, common interests, deep personal connections, and strong economic ties make us close friends, partners, and allies. We will further build on this foundation as we continue to keep our people safe and healthy from the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and work to advance peace and inclusion, economic prosperity, and climate action around the world”.
The secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed the election of Joe Biden by calling him “a strong supporter of NATO and the transatlantic relationship”, reports AP. He further said that he looks forward to working with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “to further strengthen the bond between North America and Europe”. He added, “US leadership is as important as ever in an unpredictable world”.
Former President of the United States, Barack Obama released a statement congratulating Biden and Harris. He also took to Twitter as he wrote, “Congratulations to my friends, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — our next President and Vice President of the United States”. In the tweet, he shared the image of the statement to congratulate both the candidates.
The 42nd President of the United States President Bill Clinton took to his official Twitter handle as he congratulated Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory. In a tweet that he made, he said, “America has spoken and democracy has won”. He added that both these leaders will serve all of us and get everyone together.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Foreign Minister also congratulated the new President and Vice President of the United States. “We want to invest in our cooperation for a new transatlantic beginning, a new deal”, wrote Heiko Mass in a tweet. He further said that once the entire process comes to an end they will approach the elected government and make specific proposals on how transatlantic ranks can be closed. They would also like to discuss steps that can be taken in dealing with China, climate protection and the global fight against the corona pandemic. He also congratulated Harris as he wrote, “We congratulate Kamala Harris who makes history today as the first woman and first person of color in the office of US Vice President. Ms. Vice President-elect, we look forward to working with you”.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also hailed Biden’s win. Johnson is looking forward to “working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security”, perhaps throwing a jibe in as well. He termed the US as their most important ally. With this, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also made tweet congratulating Biden and Harris.
(Image Credits: AP)
Updated 09:00 IST, November 8th 2020