When Manmohan Singh spoke, people listened: What world leaders said about India's economist PM
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India's former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Sing, who passed away in Delhi on Thursday, was one of the most respected leaders of his time.
The soft-spoken economist, who played a pivotal role in the country's emergence as one of the rising powers of the 21st century, was praised by his counterparts across the world for being modest, humble, and incorruptible.
Former US president Barack Obama called him a historic figure, close friend and valued advisor.
Before their bilateral meeting during a G20 summit in Toronto in 2010, Obama spoke of his admiration for the Indian Prime Minister. "I can tell you that here at G20 when the prime minister speaks, people listen. That is because of his deep knowledge of economic issues, the nuances of India's rise as a world power and his commitment towards global peace and prosperity," Obama said.
Former Japanese Prime Minister the late Shinzo Abe considered Singh as his mentor or guru. This was revealed by Abe's top aide Tomohiko Taniguchi during the premier's Indian visit in 2014.
Not just the Japanese leader but former German Chancellor Angela Merkel took Singh's advice on economic issues.
When Merkel was heading into the first eurozone crisis meeting to discuss the Greek crisis in 2013, she asked her aides to get Singh on the line. The unscheduled conversation lasted for about 45 minutes.
Former International Atomic Energy Agency director-general and Egyptian presidential challenger Mohamed ElBaradei told Newsweek magazine that Singh was "the model of what a political leader should be." (Back in 2010, when Newsweek ranked country heads, Singh stood first in the list of 'the leaders other leaders love').