SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and other world leaders on Wednesday (June 5) congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling alliance for their victory in India’s massive election.
In a post on social media platform X, Wong described Modi’s win – which secures a third consecutive term for the 73-year-old as leader of the world’s most populous nation – as “historic”.
He said he was looking forward to working with Modi “to deepen the Singapore-India partnership and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties” between the two countries in 2025.
India’s Election Commission on June 5 gave final confirmation that the parties that make up Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had collectively passed the majority mark in Parliament.
Modi is only the second prime minister to win three terms after India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
China on June 5 congratulated Modi, saying it is “ready to work” with its neighbour.
“China is ready to work with India to promote the healthy and stable development of relations between the two countries, in the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, with an eye to the big picture and a view to the future,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference.
She said a “healthy and stable China-India relationship is in the common interest of both sides and is also conducive to peace and development in the region and the world”.
India has been wary of its northern neighbour’s growing military assertiveness and disputes over the two Asian giants’ 3,500km shared frontier have been a perennial source of tension. China claims all of India’s north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, considering it part of Tibet, and the Asian giants fought a full-scale border war in 1962.
Japan also congratulated Modi, calling India an “important partner for the realisation of a free and open Indo-Pacific”.
“We will continue to strengthen the Japan-India relationship,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.
Japan and India are both part of the so-called Quad grouping that also includes the US and Australia.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a post on X that with Modi set to again lead India for the next five years, she would “continue to work (with Mr Modi) to strengthen the friendship that unites Italy and India and consolidate cooperation on the various issues that bind us, for the well-being of our nations and our people”.
Likewise posting on X, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he is looking forward to strengthening his nation’s ties with India.
He said Modi’s victory reflected “the confidence of the Indian people in the progress and prosperity under the leadership of PM (Modi)”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said: “Everyone in the world recognises the significance and weight of India’s role in global affairs. It is critical that we all work together to ensure a just peace for all nations.”
Modi also received congratulations from the leaders of Nepal, Bhutan, Mauritius and the Maldives. - The Straits Times/ANN
