Modi, Biden, Zelensky and Macron lead global congratulations for PM Rishi Sunak
World leaders including President Joe Biden, India’s Narendra Modi and France’s Emanuel Macron have congratulated Rishi Sunak on his rise to be Prime Minister.
Presidents and prime ministers committed to continue working with the new PM to tackle chaos caused by the war in Ukraine.
In India, where Sunak’s family originated from, there was elation as the billion-strong population marked the religious festival of Diwali while celebrating a Hindu prime minister in Number 10.
Its president, Narendra Modi, remarked on his victory in light of Britain being its former colonial power, saying: “Warmest congratulations Rishi Sunak ! As you become UK PM, I look forward to working closely together on global issues, and implementing Roadmap 2030.”
“Special Diwali wishes to the ‘living bridge’ of UK Indians, as we transform our historic ties into a modern partnership.”
Indian media celebrated his ascension to the top job, with English-language site the Times of India referencing his faith five times in its main piece, while, India Today, claimed Sunak “got the top job in UK despite being Hindu, not because of it”.
Dainik Bhaskar, a Hindi-language newspaper, ran the headline: “Another Diwali gift to the nation, Indian-origin Rishi to rule the whites”.
Outside of India
Outside of India, Joe Biden, the president of the United States, said “together, I look forward to enhancing our cooperation on issues critical to global security and prosperity, including continuing our strong support for Ukraine.”
This morning he came in for criticism when appearing to mispronounce Sunak’s name as Rasheed Sanook, while calling his election a “groundbreaking milestone” of Britain having its first British-Indian PM.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, said “the partnership between our two countries is defined by the history – and the priorities – we share. As we work to deliver results for the people who call Canada and the United Kingdom home, let’s continue to strengthen this partnership.”
China, which recently confirmed its leader Xi Xinping for a third term at the helm of the Chinese Community Party, said it hoped to “advance relations” with Britain under Sunak.
A spokesperson for the foreign ministry said it hoped to work on a “basis of mutual respect and win-win co-operation.
This comes amid turbulent times for UK-China relations, with Liz Truss saying she would have classified the country formally as a “threat”, and pro-Hong Kong demonstrators being beaten at the Chinese consulate in Manchester, before being rescued by police.
Across Europe, Ukraine dominates
European leaders’ messages of congratulations were dominated by support for Britain’s stance on Ukraine. Former prime minister Boris Johnson was viewed by Kyiv as a strong ally, and Liz Truss was foreign secretary during much of his tenure.
President Vlodymyr Zelensky said I “wish you to successfully overcome all the challenges facing British society and the whole world today.
“I’m ready to continue strengthening the UK-Ukrainian strategic partnership together”.
President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said “In these testing times for our continent, we count on a strong relationship with the U.K. to defend our common values, in full respect of our agreements.”
President Macron of France tweeted that “together we will continue working to tackle the challenges of the moment, including the war in Ukraine and its many consequences for Europe and the world.” This was echoed by the prime minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki,
Italy’s newly-elected prime minister Giorgia Meloni also said she was “eager to cooperate with him and his Cabinet on the common challenges, standing for our shared values of freedom and democracy.”