Murder of Shinzo Abe: shock and sadness among global leaders over the death of the former Japanese prime minister

Various presidents and prime ministers from different parts of the world have spoken shock and sadness for the death of Shinzo Abe, the former Prime Minister of Japan who was assassinated in an election rally this Friday.

From incumbent leaders like France’s Emmanuel Macron and India’s Narendra Modi to former presidents like Donald Trump and Angela Merkel, everyone agreed reports his shock at what happened and praises the figure of Abe.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, sent his country’s condolences to Abe’s family via a Twitter message in which he claimed to be “shocked by a heinous attack” which ended the life of “a great prime minister”.

“Both leaders have helped to bring France and Japan closer and to intensify their cooperation in the face of global challenges,” stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific space, “Elysée sources indicated.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said he was “shocked and saddened” by the death of his “dear friend”. In a message on Twitter, he stated that his country would decree it a day of national mourning for Abe’s death on July 9.

British Prime Minister resigned but still Boris Johnson reaffirmed his sadness over Abe’s death, saying in a Twitter message that the UK has been with the Japanese people “during these sad and dark times”.

“Their world leadership in unknown times will be remembered by many. My thoughts are with his family, his friends and the Japanese people, ”Johnson wrote.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose mandate between 2005 and 2021 largely coincided with Abe’s, said she was “deeply shocked and devastated“for the news of the death of the former Prime Minister.

“My first thoughts are with his wife and family,” he said in a statement. “I cry with them. I wish them comfort and support“.

Former US President Donald Trump, whose mandate between 2017 and 2021 also coincided with Abe’s, also lamented what happened to the former prime minister, who he described as “a really a great man and leader“.

“He was a true friend of mine and, above all, of the United States. This is a blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family“he said in a statement.

Although the president of the United States, Joe Biden, has not yet talked about it, the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who is in Indonesia for matters related to the G20. called the murder “shocking”.

“It’s deeply disturbing in itself, it’s also a very strong personal loss for so many people,” he said. “For the United States, Prime Minister Abe has been an extraordinary partner and someone who he was clearly a great leader“, to complete.

Despite having a tense relationship with Tokyo, Russia was another country that expressed its condolences to Japan for the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov “strongly condemned” the killing, stating that Abe was “a patriot who defended the interests of Japan at the negotiating table “.