World leaders congratulate Droupadi Murmu

Beijing/Moscow: Several world leaders, including presidents of China, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, have congratulated India's new president Droupadi Murmu who assumed office on Monday and expressed their desire to work with her to enhance their respective nations' multifaceted ties with India.

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday congratulated Murmu, 64, on assuming office, saying he stands ready to work with her to enhance political mutual trust, properly handle differences and push bilateral ties forward on the right track.

In his first communication to Indian leadership since April 2021, Xi pointed out that China and India are important neighbours of each other, and that a healthy and stable China-India relationship is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people, as well as conducive to peace, stability and development in the region and across the world.

In his congratulatory message, Xi said that he attaches great importance to China-India relations, and stands ready to work with Murmu to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, properly handle differences and push bilateral ties forward on the right track, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Murmu, India's youngest president and the first to be born after Independence, took the oath of office on Monday. Chief Justice of India N V Ramana administered her oath at a ceremony held at Parliament's Central Hall. She is the country's first tribal head of state and the second woman in the post.

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin also congratulated Murmu and expressed hope that she will further promote bilateral productive cooperation.

"We attach much importance to the relations of a special privileged strategic partnership with India," Putin said.

"I hope your activities as the head of state will promote the further development of the Russian-Indian political dialogue and productive cooperation in different areas for the benefit of our friendly nations and in the interests of stronger international stability and security," he said in his message on Saturday.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's newly-appointed President Ranil Wickremesinghe congratulated Murmu, recalling the close ties between the two nations and underlining that her leadership offers "fresh impetus" to the joint endeavours to nurture and strengthen the cordial ties they enjoy.

"Your appointment to this chief responsibility in one of the largest democracies is testimony to the trust and confidence the government and the people have placed in your caliber and political acumen, Wickremesinghe wrote in his message.

Recalling the close ties between the two nations, Wickremesinghe said, Your leadership offers fresh impetus to our joint endeavors to nurture and strengthen the cordial ties we enjoy and I look forward to working closely with you towards this end.

Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Sri Lanka's eighth president on July 21.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh President M Abdul Hamid on Monday congratulated Murmu and said that he is looking forward to working with her to advance mutual interests as well as making efforts for development, peace and prosperity in the region.

He said Bangladesh-India ties were anchored in shared history and culture, mutual trust and respect, long standing friendship and continued cooperation.

"The invaluable support by the Government and the people of India during our Liberation War in 1971 was a watershed moment in our relations. Today, our cooperation spans a range of areas, including trade, connectivity, water resources management, energy, border management and security," Hamid said.

"I also look forward to working with you not only to advance mutual interests between our countries but also to step up efforts in the cause of development, peace and prosperity in the region," he added.

Maldives

Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulated Murmu on her "historic election".

"Her capability and experience will no doubt lead India to greater heights. I look forward to enhancing the close relations between the Maldives and India under her leadership," he tweeted last week.

Nepal

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari conveyed her wishes to Murmu and expressed confidence that the cooperation between our two countries will reach new heights during her tenure.

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba tweeted: "On behalf of the govt & people of Nepal, I would like to extend warmest congratulations to Smt Droupadi Murmu on being elected as the 15th President of India. I am confident that the excellent bilateral relations between Nepal & India will see newer heights in the days ahead."

United Kingdom

Britain also sent greetings to President Murmu and expressed confidence that the India-UK relationship would go from "strength to strength" under her tenure.

Lord Tariq Ahmad, the Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for South Asia and the Commonwealth, took to Twitter on Friday to send his "badhai" in Devanagari script to the new Indian Head of State. The tweet followed the former governor of Jharkhand's confirmation as President-elect.

"Congratulations to Droupadi Murmu on her election as India's new President, said Lord Ahmad, a Pakistani-origin Conservative Party peer in the House of Lords.

"I am sure the UK-India relationship will go from strength to strength during her tenure. Badhai!"

With outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson now technically signed off from the job after his farewell speech in Parliament last week ahead of the election of a new Prime Minister by early September, 10 Downing Street said Lord Ahmad's tweet from last week is the formal UK government congratulatory message for the new Indian President.

Ahmad is the minister officially in-charge of Indian affairs and sent the message in his capacity as Minister for South Asia.