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TOKYO – Leaders and envoys from Asia and beyond reacted with shock and concern to the shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe today.
Here are some key comments:
United States
“This is a very, very sad moment,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters at the G20 meeting in Bali, saying the US was “deeply saddened and deeply concerned”.
“We don’t know his condition,” he said. “Our thoughts, our prayers are with him, with his family, with the people of Japan.”
Earlier, US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said he was “saddened and shocked”.
“Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and an unwavering ally of the United States,” he said in a statement.
European Union
European Council president Charles Michel said he was “shocked and saddened by (the) cowardly attack”.
Abe was “a true friend, fierce defender of multilateral order & democratic values”, Michel tweeted.
Britain
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “appalled” by the shooting.
“Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe,” Johnson tweeted.
Australia
“Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted. “Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time.”
India
“Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan.”
Russia
“We pray for the health of the former prime minister of Japan, Mr Shinzo Abe,” the Russian embassy in Japan said in a Facebook post.
“We strongly condemn the barbaric attempt on his life.”
France
The French embassy in Japan expressed concern over the “hateful” attack, saying its thoughts were with Abe and his loved ones.
“The French Embassy has learned with emotion and dismay of the hateful attack on former prime minister Shinzo Abe in Nara,” the mission said on Twitter.
Thailand
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha “is very shocked by what has happened to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe,” Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told reporters in Bangkok.
“Prayut and Abe are friends and they have a relatively close relationship, as they met several times.”
The Philippines
Enrique Manalo, the foreign affairs secretary of the Philippines, expressed “great shock and dismay” at the attack.
“I extend my deep sympathy and pray for his early recovery,” he tweeted.
Singapore
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was shocked at the attack and described Abe as “a good friend of Singapore”.
“I am deeply shocked to learn that former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo was shot in Nara Prefecture this morning. This is a senseless act of violence,” he said in a post on Facebook.
“I had just hosted him for lunch in May, on my visit to Tokyo. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Abe and his family.” – AFP, July 8, 2022